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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. date — the fruit
  3. degree — from a university
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. pass — a permit
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. press — newspapers
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a trace
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. row — to paddle
  13. mark — a grade
  14. press — to push
  15. board — a committee
  16. degree — temperature
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. deal — to handle
  19. board — to get on
  20. press — a publisher
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. degree — an amount
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. pass — to spend time

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