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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. field — a subject
  3. board — to get on
  4. present — the time now
  5. degree — temperature
  6. degree — from a university
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. rock — music
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. field — farmland
  11. pass — a permit
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. degree — an amount
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. board — a committee
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rash — hasty
  20. present — there
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. field — for sport
  24. present — a gift

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