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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. dip — to sink
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. board — to get on
  6. degree — temperature
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. degree — an amount
  10. board — a committee
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. degree — from a university
  14. plane — a tool
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a great time
  18. game — wild animals
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. season — in sport
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. season — of the year

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