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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. wound — an injury
  4. degree — from a university
  5. degree — temperature
  6. object — an aim
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a committee
  9. wound — an injury
  10. object — a thing
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. drill — a practice
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. drill — army training
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. bank — of a river
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. scale — size or range
  21. scale — in music
  22. degree — an amount
  23. object — to protest
  24. drill — the tool

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