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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 get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. board — to get on
  3. cue — a hint
  4. degree — temperature
  5. cue — for pool
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. root — of a plant
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. kick — in football
  12. stock — goods
  13. degree — from a university
  14. root — of a word
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. stock — shares
  21. board — a committee
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. degree — an amount
  24. root — the cause

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