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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. degree — temperature
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. root — of a plant
  5. rest — what's left
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pitch — completely
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. board — to get on
  13. root — the cause
  14. rest — what's left
  15. root — of a word
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. club — for golf
  18. rest — a break
  19. board — a committee
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. club — a group
  22. degree — from a university
  23. deal — to handle
  24. club — for dancing

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