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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. chest — of your body
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. chest — of your body
  7. degree — an amount
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. fine — all right
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. degree — from a university
  12. chest — a box
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mark — a trace
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a committee
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. fine — high quality
  24. degree — temperature

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