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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. tube — a container
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. club — for golf
  5. club — a group
  6. cap — of ice
  7. object — an aim
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. swing — music
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. degree — from a university
  12. cap — a hat
  13. degree — temperature
  14. degree — an amount
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. cap — a lid
  17. club — for dancing
  18. object — to protest
  19. tube — the underground
  20. board — a committee
  21. object — a thing
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. swing — to play on
  24. swing — in golf

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