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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. board — to get on
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — a stone
  9. board — a committee
  10. chip — for betting
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. degree — from a university
  18. saw — the tool
  19. chip — to eat
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. degree — an amount
  22. ball — a great time
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. degree — temperature

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