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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wake — a trail
  6. pitch — completely
  7. content — happy
  8. board — a committee
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. board — to get on
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. bear — the animal
  13. content — the amount
  14. cell — a phone
  15. degree — from a university
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. degree — temperature
  19. degree — an amount
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bear — the animal
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. bowl — to roll

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