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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 116 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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. degree — temperature
  4. degree — from a university
  5. board — to get on
  6. charge — electricity
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. charge — in control
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. court — of law
  12. spring — the season
  13. court — for sport
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitch — completely
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. spring — a coil
  19. deal — to handle
  20. charge — a price
  21. court — of a king
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. spring — of water
  24. degree — an amount

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