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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
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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: board · last · cold · cabinet · fine · degree · safe · mark

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. degree — an amount
  5. fine — all right
  6. mark — a trace
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. last — final
  10. cold — an illness
  11. cold — not warm
  12. last — to go on
  13. last — finally
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. degree — temperature
  16. degree — from a university
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. mark — a grade
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — to get on
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. fine — high quality
  24. mark — to pay attention

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