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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. net — after costs
  3. degree — temperature
  4. march — the month
  5. board — to get on
  6. cue — a signal
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — there
  9. march — music
  10. degree — an amount
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. net — in sport
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. board — a committee
  15. cue — for pool
  16. vault — a safe
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. degree — from a university
  19. cue — a hint
  20. march — the month
  21. squash — to crush
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. squash — the sport
  24. net — for catching

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