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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. drill — a practice
  4. drill — the tool
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. ground — a position
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. degree — temperature
  9. degree — from a university
  10. drill — army training
  11. board — to get on
  12. ground — crushed
  13. rash — hasty
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. rash — a series
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — a committee
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. degree — an amount

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