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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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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. degree — temperature
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. degree — an amount
  8. field — for sport
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. dip — to sink
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. board — a committee
  14. degree — from a university
  15. board — to get on
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. field — farmland
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. mug — a cup
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. field — a subject
  22. mug — a face
  23. mug — to rob
  24. dip — a sauce

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