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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bound — tied together
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bound — certain
  10. prune — to trim
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. chair — a leader
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — a committee
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. bound — obliged
  18. toast — bread
  19. degree — from a university
  20. game — wild animals
  21. board — to get on
  22. degree — an amount
  23. game — a match
  24. prune — the fruit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com