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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: pitch · face · board · degree · calf · bulb · band · rest

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bulb — for light
  4. face — part of the head
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rest — a break
  8. band — a music group
  9. degree — temperature
  10. degree — from a university
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. face — to confront
  17. bulb — for light
  18. band — a ring
  19. degree — an amount
  20. rest — what's left
  21. face — to point toward
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. board — to get on

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