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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — a committee
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. club — for golf
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. degree — temperature
  9. wake — a trail
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. kick — in football
  12. degree — from a university
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. can — a tin
  15. club — for dancing
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. board — to get on
  20. club — a group
  21. degree — an amount
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. pass — a permit

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