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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. degree — from a university
  5. degree — an amount
  6. wind — moving air
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. bank — for money
  9. degree — temperature
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bank — for money
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. board — to get on
  15. bank — of a river
  16. vault — a safe
  17. wind — moving air
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. wind — to turn a key

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