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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. land — a country
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. board — a committee
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. land — to come down
  9. game — wild animals
  10. land — ground
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. degree — temperature
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. board — to get on
  15. cue — a hint
  16. game — a match
  17. snap — to click
  18. degree — from a university
  19. degree — an amount
  20. cue — a signal
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. foot — a measure
  23. cue — for pool
  24. rush — hurry

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