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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 black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. pit — in a race
  4. degree — from a university
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. spell — a short time
  8. key — in music
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. degree — temperature
  11. board — to get on
  12. spell — letters
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pit — a hole
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. degree — an amount
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. key — the most important part
  22. board — a committee
  23. spell — magic
  24. bear — the animal

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