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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. club — for golf
  3. degree — temperature
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. spell — letters
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. spell — magic
  10. degree — an amount
  11. spell — a short time
  12. degree — from a university
  13. club — a group
  14. rash — hasty
  15. drill — army training
  16. club — for dancing
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. board — to get on
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. drill — a practice
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. rash — a series
  24. drill — the tool

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