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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'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — to get on
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. degree — from a university
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. prune — to trim
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. degree — an amount
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. suit — to fit
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. suit — in cards
  20. degree — temperature
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. suit — clothes

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