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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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Word bank
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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: leaves · wind · degree · bay · can · board · racket · mark

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. degree — temperature
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. wind — moving air
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. mark — a trace
  10. degree — from a university
  11. can — a tin
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. can — to be able to
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. degree — an amount
  19. can — a tin
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. board — to get on

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