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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 116 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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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: lean · fine · ball · mark · degree · board · content · chip

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. board — a committee
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. board — to get on
  5. lean — thin
  6. degree — temperature
  7. fine — high quality
  8. chip — for betting
  9. lean — to bend
  10. degree — an amount
  11. content — the amount
  12. mark — a trace
  13. ball — a dance
  14. fine — all right
  15. degree — from a university
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — to eat
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ball — a great time
  23. mark — a grade
  24. content — happy

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