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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. sharp — clever
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pit — in a race
  9. board — a committee
  10. fine — high quality
  11. board — to get on
  12. degree — an amount
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. degree — temperature
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pit — a hole
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. fine — all right
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. racket — for tennis

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