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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. degree — from a university
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. season — of the year
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. degree — temperature
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. mug — to rob
  10. board — to get on
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. chip — to eat
  13. scale — in music
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. scale — size or range
  16. rest — what's left
  17. board — a committee
  18. rest — a break
  19. degree — an amount
  20. season — in sport
  21. mug — a cup
  22. chip — for betting
  23. mug — a face
  24. season — to add flavour

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