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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — to get on
  4. degree — an amount
  5. court — of a king
  6. scale — in music
  7. net — after costs
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. degree — from a university
  13. board — a committee
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. rock — a stone
  17. court — of law
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. net — in sport
  20. rock — music
  21. net — for catching
  22. scale — size or range
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. court — for sport

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