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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. march — the month
  3. march — music
  4. board — to get on
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bat — the animal
  7. rest — a break
  8. march — the month
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. degree — from a university
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. rest — what's left
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. board — a committee
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. degree — an amount
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. fine — all right

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