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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 116 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 so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  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. dip — a sauce
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — hurry
  4. board — to get on
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. degree — from a university
  7. board — a committee
  8. swing — music
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rash — hasty
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. rash — a series
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. swing — in golf
  20. swing — to play on
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. degree — temperature
  23. dip — to sink
  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