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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 116 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: game · board · degree · cell · bay · vault

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. degree — from a university
  3. degree — temperature
  4. degree — an amount
  5. cell — in biology
  6. cell — a phone
  7. game — a match
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. board — to get on
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. game — wild animals
  15. vault — a safe
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. bay — a part of the sea

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