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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  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. pass — to succeed
  2. tube — the underground
  3. ball — a great time
  4. pass — a permit
  5. degree — from a university
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — a committee
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. degree — temperature
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. degree — an amount
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. ball — a dance
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. tube — a container
  23. calf — of the leg
  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