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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.

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: foot · board · track · bay · mate · degree · mine · leaves

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. mine — for digging
  4. foot — a measure
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. mate — a partner
  7. degree — from a university
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. track — a song
  13. track — a path
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. track — to keep track
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. board — a committee
  20. degree — an amount
  21. board — to get on
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. degree — temperature
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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