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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: foot · date · degree · roll · board · ruler · sharp · wound

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. board — a committee
  3. roll — a list
  4. degree — temperature
  5. roll — a cake
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. date — the fruit
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. degree — an amount
  17. sharp — clever
  18. degree — from a university
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. wound — an injury
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. foot — a measure
  23. board — to get on
  24. wound — an injury

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