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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: stock · band · degree · plane · pit · shower · board · bowl

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. degree — temperature
  4. band — a music group
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. stock — shares
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. stock — goods
  11. pit — a hole
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. board — a committee
  15. degree — an amount
  16. shower — rain
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. shower — to wash
  19. board — to get on
  20. plane — a tool
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. degree — from a university
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. band — a ring

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