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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. tube — the underground
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. board — a committee
  7. chest — of your body
  8. rash — a series
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. chest — a box
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. pitch — completely
  16. degree — an amount
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. tube — a container
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. board — to get on
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. degree — temperature
  23. chest — of your body
  24. rash — hasty

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