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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. rock — music
  4. swing — to play on
  5. cap — of ice
  6. degree — an amount
  7. bear — the animal
  8. rock — a stone
  9. board — to get on
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. cap — a lid
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bear — the animal
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. cap — a hat
  17. board — a committee
  18. degree — from a university
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. swing — in golf
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. swing — music

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