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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. swing — to play on
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. board — to get on
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. pass — a permit
  9. degree — temperature
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. board — a committee
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. degree — an amount
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bass — low music
  17. swing — music
  18. degree — from a university
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. swing — in golf
  23. stem — to come from
  24. fork — in a road

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