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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. pass — a permit
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. board — to get on
  5. mark — a grade
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. degree — an amount
  10. degree — from a university
  11. mark — a trace
  12. degree — temperature
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. content — happy
  22. content — the amount
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. board — a committee

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