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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 120 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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. wind — moving air
  3. board — a committee
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. degree — an amount
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. season — in sport
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. plane — a tool
  11. present — there
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. present — the time now
  14. degree — temperature
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bass — low music
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. bass — the fish
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. degree — from a university
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. season — of the year
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. present — a gift

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