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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: board · rule · wind · sharp · charge · craft · degree · roll

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. degree — an amount
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. roll — a cake
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a committee
  9. roll — a list
  10. rule — government
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. charge — a price
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. craft — boats
  16. wind — moving air
  17. degree — from a university
  18. rule — a law
  19. charge — electricity
  20. degree — temperature
  21. craft — a skill
  22. wind — moving air
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. charge — in control

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