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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. pass — a permit
  3. degree — temperature
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. degree — an amount
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. key — for a lock
  8. board — a committee
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. content — happy
  11. board — to get on
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. content — the amount
  17. key — in music
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. key — the most important part
  21. rush — hurry
  22. dip — to sink
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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