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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 124 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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. club — a group
  3. degree — from a university
  4. tube — a container
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. board — a committee
  10. degree — temperature
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. shower — to wash
  13. shower — rain
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — for dancing
  16. ground — crushed
  17. degree — an amount
  18. ground — the earth
  19. board — to get on
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. ground — a position
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. nail — for a hammer

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