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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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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: board · leaves · season · net · bay · degree · sharp · bank

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. bank — for money
  4. net — for catching
  5. sharp — clever
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. season — in sport
  10. net — in sport
  11. degree — from a university
  12. net — after costs
  13. bank — of a river
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. board — a committee
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. degree — an amount
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. degree — temperature
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. season — of the year
  24. bank — for money

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