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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. degree — temperature
  3. degree — an amount
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. chest — of your body
  6. scale — size or range
  7. chest — a box
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. pound — a weight
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. scale — in music
  13. degree — from a university
  14. board — to get on
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. board — a committee
  17. chest — of your body
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — moving air
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. wind — to turn a key

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