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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. fine — all right
  3. pound — a weight
  4. fine — high quality
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. degree — from a university
  7. march — the month
  8. press — to push
  9. degree — an amount
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. march — the month
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. board — a committee
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. march — music
  20. press — a publisher
  21. degree — temperature
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. press — newspapers
  24. safe — a strongbox

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