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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. mark — a trace
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. content — the amount
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. ground — crushed
  10. degree — temperature
  11. mark — a grade
  12. ground — a position
  13. degree — from a university
  14. shower — to wash
  15. ground — the earth
  16. degree — an amount
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. content — happy
  24. shower — rain

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