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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. degree — temperature
  3. root — of a plant
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. degree — from a university
  7. swing — music
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. board — a committee
  10. club — for dancing
  11. root — of a word
  12. court — of a king
  13. swing — in golf
  14. club — a group
  15. root — the cause
  16. court — for sport
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. degree — an amount
  19. court — of law
  20. swing — to play on
  21. board — to get on
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. club — for golf
  24. pass — a permit

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