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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. hand — in cards
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. hand — help
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. degree — temperature
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. club — for golf
  9. bank — of a river
  10. suit — clothes
  11. club — for dancing
  12. degree — an amount
  13. vault — a safe
  14. club — a group
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bank — for money
  17. suit — to fit
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bank — for money
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. suit — in cards
  23. degree — from a university
  24. board — to get on

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