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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. current — happening now
  4. rest — a break
  5. press — a publisher
  6. rest — what's left
  7. cue — a hint
  8. degree — from a university
  9. dip — to sink
  10. degree — temperature
  11. board — to get on
  12. cue — for pool
  13. press — newspapers
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. degree — an amount
  16. cue — a signal
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. court — of a king
  19. press — to push
  20. current — of water
  21. current — electric
  22. rest — what's left
  23. court — of law
  24. board — a committee

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