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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 120 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: ball · degree · pop · temple · arm · board · fine · clip

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. board — to get on
  3. clip — to cut
  4. fine — all right
  5. pop — music
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. ball — a dance
  10. fine — high quality
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. ball — a great time
  14. pop — soda
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. clip — a video
  17. board — a committee
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. degree — an amount
  20. degree — temperature
  21. clip — for paper
  22. degree — from a university
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. pop — to visit

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