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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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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: board · pass · racket · firm · degree · wind · kick · march

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. degree — from a university
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. march — the month
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. kick — in football
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. firm — a company
  10. pass — a permit
  11. march — the month
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — a committee
  15. degree — temperature
  16. degree — an amount
  17. firm — steady
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. march — music
  21. wind — moving air
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. wind — moving air
  24. firm — decided

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