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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. sharp — clever
  3. mate — a partner
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. current — of water
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. degree — temperature
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mate — to breed
  17. board — a committee
  18. degree — an amount
  19. current — electric
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. board — to get on
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. current — happening now
  24. sharp — exactly

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