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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. mark — a grade
  3. prune — to trim
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. degree — from a university
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. board — a committee
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. cue — for pool
  12. degree — temperature
  13. degree — an amount
  14. cue — a hint
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. lie — to recline
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. cue — a signal
  19. mark — a trace
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a hole
  24. board — to get on

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