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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. pitch — completely
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. degree — temperature
  10. degree — an amount
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. board — to get on
  15. game — a match
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. board — a committee
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. vault — a safe
  23. degree — from a university
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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