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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. land — a country
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. degree — from a university
  6. tube — the underground
  7. staff — employees
  8. land — ground
  9. land — to come down
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. degree — temperature
  12. game — wild animals
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. board — a committee
  15. suit — in cards
  16. suit — clothes
  17. staff — a stick
  18. game — a match
  19. board — to get on
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. degree — an amount
  22. tube — a container
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. suit — to fit

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