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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: present · field · board · toast · degree · firm

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. present — there
  3. firm — decided
  4. field — for sport
  5. present — the time now
  6. toast — bread
  7. firm — steady
  8. degree — temperature
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. field — farmland
  11. field — a subject
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — to get on
  14. degree — an amount
  15. firm — a company
  16. degree — from a university
  17. board — a committee
  18. present — a gift

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