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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.

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: pitcher · sharp · degree · mate · board · ruler · spring · mine

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. board — to get on
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a friend
  11. spring — the season
  12. mine — for digging
  13. degree — temperature
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. degree — an amount
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — of water
  20. degree — from a university
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. board — a committee

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