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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
468
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: wound · deal · mouse · court · board · degree · hide · current

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — an injury
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. deal — to handle
  7. board — a committee
  8. court — of law
  9. court — of a king
  10. degree — temperature
  11. degree — an amount
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. court — for sport
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. current — electric
  19. current — of water
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. degree — from a university
  23. board — to get on
  24. current — happening now

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