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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 120 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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. spell — a short time
  3. degree — temperature
  4. degree — from a university
  5. board — a committee
  6. rest — a break
  7. rest — what's left
  8. board — to get on
  9. rest — what's left
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. spell — magic
  12. sharp — clever
  13. degree — an amount
  14. can — to be able to
  15. present — a gift
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. present — the time now
  18. spell — letters
  19. can — a tin
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. present — there
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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