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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rest · game · bay · degree · board · kick

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. rest — a break
  4. degree — temperature
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. rest — what's left
  7. board — a committee
  8. kick — in football
  9. board — to get on
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. degree — from a university
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. degree — an amount
  15. game — wild animals
  16. rest — what's left
  17. game — a match
  18. kick — a thrill

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