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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: degree · can · pop · mate · foot · stand · board · rule

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pop — music
  4. board — to get on
  5. pop — soda
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mate — a partner
  9. degree — from a university
  10. stand — to bear
  11. foot — a measure
  12. board — a committee
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rule — government
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. rule — a law
  19. degree — temperature
  20. can — a tin
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. degree — an amount
  23. can — to be able to
  24. mate — a friend

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