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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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. board — a committee
  4. current — of water
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. current — happening now
  8. chair — a leader
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. kick — in football
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. ball — a great time
  13. degree — an amount
  14. degree — from a university
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. degree — temperature
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. board — to get on
  21. current — electric
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. ball — a dance
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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