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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. ground — the earth
  3. pop — to visit
  4. degree — temperature
  5. present — the time now
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. ground — a position
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. pop — soda
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — a short time
  12. board — to get on
  13. present — there
  14. present — a gift
  15. pop — music
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. degree — from a university
  19. board — a committee
  20. deal — to handle
  21. rest — what's left
  22. ground — crushed
  23. degree — an amount
  24. spell — magic

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