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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. mate — to breed
  3. degree — an amount
  4. mate — a partner
  5. cap — a lid
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. sharp — clever
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. cap — a hat
  13. staff — a stick
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. degree — from a university
  17. degree — temperature
  18. cap — of ice
  19. board — to get on
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. board — a committee
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. mate — a friend

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