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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. prune — to trim
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a committee
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. degree — an amount
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. prune — to trim
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. content — the amount
  15. degree — temperature
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. content — happy
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. degree — from a university
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bowl — a dish

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