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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. field — farmland
  3. degree — temperature
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. field — a subject
  7. bulb — for light
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. mug — a cup
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. mug — a face
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. plane — a tool
  18. degree — from a university
  19. vault — a safe
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. field — for sport
  22. degree — an amount
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mug — to rob

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