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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: coach · row · board · rush · firm · sharp · degree · ball

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. degree — from a university
  3. ball — a great time
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. row — a line
  8. firm — decided
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rush — hurry
  12. board — a committee
  13. sharp — clever
  14. firm — steady
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. ball — a dance
  17. row — to paddle
  18. degree — temperature
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. degree — an amount
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a flat piece

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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