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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: degree · shower · board · fork · bulb · coach · bowl · deal

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. degree — temperature
  6. degree — from a university
  7. shower — rain
  8. degree — an amount
  9. board — a committee
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. deal — to handle
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. board — to get on
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. shower — to wash
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fork — in a road
  21. bulb — for light
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bulb — of a plant

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