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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. present — there
  3. present — the time now
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. degree — temperature
  7. sharp — clever
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. board — a committee
  10. bass — the fish
  11. root — the cause
  12. present — a gift
  13. degree — from a university
  14. bass — low music
  15. root — of a word
  16. board — to get on
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. saw — the tool
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. degree — an amount
  21. row — to paddle
  22. root — of a plant
  23. row — a line
  24. sharp — exactly

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