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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bear — the animal
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. tube — the underground
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. degree — an amount
  8. saw — the tool
  9. tube — a container
  10. lean — thin
  11. pop — soda
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. pop — music
  14. saw — the tool
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. bear — the animal
  17. degree — temperature
  18. lean — to bend
  19. pop — to visit
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. board — to get on
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. degree — from a university

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