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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. chip — to eat
  3. degree — an amount
  4. board — a committee
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. degree — temperature
  7. spring — the season
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. charge — in control
  10. cell — in biology
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. charge — a price
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. spring — of water
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. cell — a phone
  18. charge — electricity
  19. chip — for betting
  20. spring — a coil
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. board — to get on
  24. degree — from a university

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