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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. degree — temperature
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. field — for sport
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. field — a subject
  7. field — farmland
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. degree — an amount
  10. degree — from a university
  11. ground — a position
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. ground — the earth
  15. pass — a permit
  16. band — a ring
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. board — to get on
  19. ground — crushed
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. band — a music group
  24. board — a committee

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