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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. object — a thing
  3. degree — from a university
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. degree — temperature
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. object — an aim
  10. current — happening now
  11. chip — to eat
  12. tube — a container
  13. current — of water
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. degree — an amount
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. chip — for betting
  18. current — electric
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. tube — the underground
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. hide — to keep secret

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