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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. degree — an amount
  3. track — a song
  4. firm — steady
  5. firm — decided
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. degree — from a university
  8. board — to get on
  9. degree — temperature
  10. capital — money
  11. track — to keep track
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ball — a dance
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. board — a committee
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. ground — the earth
  18. ground — a position
  19. capital — a city
  20. kick — in football
  21. ball — a great time
  22. firm — a company
  23. track — a path
  24. capital — a big letter

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