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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 were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. suit — to fit
  4. rock — music
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. board — to get on
  8. staff — employees
  9. suit — in cards
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. degree — from a university
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. court — of law
  14. fine — all right
  15. court — for sport
  16. degree — temperature
  17. fine — high quality
  18. court — of a king
  19. suit — clothes
  20. board — a committee
  21. staff — employees
  22. pound — a weight
  23. degree — an amount
  24. staff — a stick

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