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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. degree — temperature
  4. mark — a trace
  5. degree — from a university
  6. board — to get on
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bore — to drill
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. chair — a leader
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. degree — an amount
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. board — a committee
  23. bore — to tire
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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