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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: board · deal · degree · trunk · race · staff

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. staff — employees
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. degree — an amount
  7. staff — employees
  8. deal — to handle
  9. race — humankind
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. staff — a stick
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. board — to get on
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. race — a contest
  16. race — the arms race
  17. degree — from a university
  18. board — a committee

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