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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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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: rush · degree · board · fan · pit · wave · bulb · current

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — a committee
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pit — in a race
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. pit — a hole
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — hurry
  16. board — to get on
  17. current — electric
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. current — happening now
  20. degree — an amount
  21. current — of water
  22. degree — from a university
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — 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