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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. pound — a weight
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. degree — temperature
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. roll — a list
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. degree — from a university
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. can — to be able to
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. roll — a cake
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — to get on
  22. vault — a safe
  23. stock — goods
  24. degree — an amount

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