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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. net — after costs
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. degree — from a university
  6. board — to get on
  7. pop — music
  8. net — in sport
  9. board — a committee
  10. degree — an amount
  11. row — to paddle
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. toast — bread
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. row — a line
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. pop — to visit
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. pop — soda
  22. degree — temperature
  23. net — for catching
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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