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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 116 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 stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. tear — from crying
  4. firm — a company
  5. degree — an amount
  6. tear — to rip
  7. firm — decided
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — to get on
  10. tear — from crying
  11. spell — letters
  12. spell — a short time
  13. degree — temperature
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. board — a committee
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. spell — magic
  18. degree — from a university
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — a hat
  21. pop — music
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pop — soda
  24. cap — of ice

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