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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 116 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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. board — to get on
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. degree — from a university
  6. can — a tin
  7. face — part of the head
  8. rest — what's left
  9. degree — temperature
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. can — to be able to
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. board — a committee
  16. hand — help
  17. degree — an amount
  18. face — to point toward
  19. can — a tin
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bat — the animal
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. face — to confront

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