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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: bay · fine · board · march · degree · rule · kick · object

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. degree — from a university
  4. march — the month
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. board — a committee
  8. degree — an amount
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. object — to protest
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. board — to get on
  13. march — music
  14. object — an aim
  15. rule — government
  16. kick — in football
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. fine — high quality
  19. degree — temperature
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. object — a thing
  22. fine — all right
  23. march — the month
  24. rule — a law

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