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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. firm — steady
  3. degree — an amount
  4. firm — decided
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — to get on
  7. rock — a stone
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. degree — from a university
  11. rock — music
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — the underground
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. degree — temperature
  23. firm — a company
  24. temple — side of the head

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