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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 124 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: dip · pitcher · hide · sharp · board · foot · suit · degree

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. sharp — clever
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. suit — clothes
  7. degree — from a university
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. board — a committee
  11. degree — an amount
  12. suit — in cards
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. foot — a measure
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. board — to get on
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. dip — to sink
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. degree — temperature
  22. suit — to fit
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pitcher — a jug

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