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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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. board — to get on
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mate — a partner
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. degree — from a university
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. game — wild animals
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. board — a committee
  12. game — a match
  13. mark — a trace
  14. pound — a weight
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. degree — an amount
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. mark — a grade
  24. degree — temperature

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