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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. press — newspapers
  5. current — happening now
  6. press — a publisher
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — the underground
  9. current — of water
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. degree — an amount
  12. deal — to handle
  13. current — electric
  14. degree — temperature
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. band — a ring
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. band — a music group
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. press — to push
  24. degree — from a university

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