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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. degree — an amount
  3. pop — music
  4. board — to get on
  5. file — a line of people
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. degree — temperature
  8. pop — soda
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. file — a document
  16. file — a tool
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a hint
  20. degree — from a university
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. cue — a signal
  23. board — a committee
  24. bowl — a dish

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