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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. track — a song
  4. board — a committee
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. can — a tin
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — for betting
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. can — a tin
  12. hand — help
  13. degree — from a university
  14. track — a path
  15. degree — temperature
  16. degree — an amount
  17. hand — in cards
  18. chip — to eat
  19. can — to be able to
  20. mark — a grade
  21. band — a ring
  22. band — a music group
  23. track — to keep track
  24. board — to get on

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