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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: patient · degree · press · date · stand · bulb · board · fork

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fork — in a road
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. degree — from a university
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. date — the fruit
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. degree — temperature
  12. stand — to bear
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. bulb — for light
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — newspapers
  18. board — a committee
  19. press — to push
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. degree — an amount
  23. bulb — for light
  24. board — a flat piece

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