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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. degree — an amount
  3. cap — a hat
  4. board — a committee
  5. cap — of ice
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. cap — a lid
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. content — the amount
  10. degree — temperature
  11. stock — goods
  12. degree — from a university
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. board — to get on
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. rest — a break
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. rest — what's left
  22. game — wild animals
  23. game — a match
  24. content — happy

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