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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. wind — moving air
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. degree — an amount
  6. board — a committee
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. drill — army training
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. degree — from a university
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. board — to get on
  18. drill — the tool
  19. wind — moving air
  20. degree — temperature
  21. drill — a practice
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. pass — a permit
  24. ruler — a monarch

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