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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. rush — hurry
  4. degree — temperature
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — to get on
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. degree — an amount
  12. net — for catching
  13. face — to confront
  14. prune — to trim
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. face — part of the head
  17. face — to point toward
  18. degree — from a university
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. prune — to trim
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. net — in sport
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. net — after costs

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