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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. field — a subject
  3. band — a music group
  4. board — a committee
  5. club — for dancing
  6. degree — from a university
  7. degree — temperature
  8. staff — a stick
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. board — to get on
  11. club — for golf
  12. bulb — for light
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. club — a group
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. staff — employees
  18. field — farmland
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. band — a ring
  21. field — for sport
  22. degree — an amount
  23. staff — employees
  24. deal — to handle

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