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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  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. ruler — a monarch
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. track — to keep track
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. track — a path
  7. degree — an amount
  8. board — to get on
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — of your body
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. deal — to handle
  13. charge — electricity
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. charge — a price
  16. board — a committee
  17. charge — in control
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. kid — child
  20. track — a song
  21. kid — to tease
  22. chest — a box
  23. degree — temperature
  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