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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. board — to get on
  6. degree — temperature
  7. face — part of the head
  8. degree — an amount
  9. hand — help
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — for pool
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. face — to point toward
  16. hand — in cards
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. board — a committee
  21. cue — a hint
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. bulb — for light
  24. face — to confront

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