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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. degree — an amount
  3. board — a committee
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. dip — to sink
  10. kick — in football
  11. track — to keep track
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. pitch — completely
  15. track — a song
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. degree — from a university
  19. track — a path
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. degree — temperature
  24. coach — a trainer

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