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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. field — farmland
  3. degree — temperature
  4. drill — the tool
  5. field — a subject
  6. drill — army training
  7. field — for sport
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bass — the fish
  10. lie — to recline
  11. board — to get on
  12. bulb — for light
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. drill — a practice
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. degree — from a university
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bass — low music
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — a committee
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bass — the instrument

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