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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. swing — in golf
  3. net — for catching
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. stand — to bear
  8. swing — to play on
  9. degree — temperature
  10. degree — an amount
  11. net — after costs
  12. bulb — for light
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. board — a committee
  15. swing — music
  16. board — to get on
  17. net — in sport
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. degree — from a university
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. bulb — for light

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