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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 120 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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. row — to paddle
  5. degree — from a university
  6. degree — temperature
  7. bulb — for light
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. board — a committee
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. row — a line
  14. degree — an amount
  15. last — final
  16. board — to get on
  17. bulb — for light
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. last — finally
  23. cue — a signal
  24. last — to go 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