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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.

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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: fork · cue · row · mate · board · fan · leaves · degree

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. mate — a partner
  3. row — a line
  4. fork — in a road
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. cue — for pool
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. cue — a hint
  11. mate — to breed
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. cue — a signal
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. row — to paddle
  17. board — to get on
  18. degree — an amount
  19. mate — a friend
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. board — a committee
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. degree — temperature

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