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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cold — not warm
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. mate — to breed
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. pass — a permit
  8. mate — a partner
  9. degree — from a university
  10. cold — an illness
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. degree — temperature
  13. board — a committee
  14. saw — the tool
  15. degree — an amount
  16. board — to get on
  17. mate — a friend
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. deal — to handle
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. deal — a big deal

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