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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. row — to paddle
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. land — to come down
  6. club — for dancing
  7. land — ground
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. degree — an amount
  10. pitch — completely
  11. suit — in cards
  12. board — a committee
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. land — a country
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. club — for golf
  17. row — a line
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. board — to get on
  21. degree — temperature
  22. club — a group
  23. suit — to fit
  24. suit — clothes

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