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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. court — for sport
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. degree — from a university
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. game — a match
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. court — of law
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — to get on
  14. pit — a hole
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. game — wild animals
  17. pit — in a race
  18. degree — an amount
  19. toast — bread
  20. court — of a king
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. foot — a measure

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