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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. deal — to handle
  3. tube — the underground
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. tube — a container
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. degree — temperature
  9. dip — to sink
  10. degree — from a university
  11. board — a committee
  12. drill — a practice
  13. board — to get on
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — for catching
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. drill — the tool
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. drill — army training
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. net — in sport
  22. degree — an amount
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. wound — an injury

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