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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.

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: sharp · face · board · fan · can · degree · ball · game

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. sharp — clever
  3. can — a tin
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. ball — a great time
  6. can — a tin
  7. game — wild animals
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. game — a match
  11. ball — a dance
  12. can — to be able to
  13. face — part of the head
  14. degree — temperature
  15. board — to get on
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. board — a committee
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. degree — an amount
  21. degree — from a university
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — to confront
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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