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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. pass — a permit
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. tube — the underground
  6. charge — a price
  7. board — to get on
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. degree — temperature
  12. tube — a container
  13. prune — to trim
  14. degree — from a university
  15. prune — to trim
  16. rash — a series
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. kick — in football
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. charge — electricity
  23. degree — an amount
  24. charge — in control

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