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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  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. march — the month
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. track — to keep track
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. degree — an amount
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mug — a face
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. track — a song
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. march — music
  16. march — the month
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. board — to get on
  19. deal — to handle
  20. board — a committee
  21. mine — for digging
  22. degree — from a university
  23. track — a path
  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