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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: ruler · degree · wave · bay · board · toast

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. toast — bread
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. degree — from a university
  8. degree — an amount
  9. board — a committee
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. degree — temperature
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. ruler — for measuring

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