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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bulb · board · hand · land · degree · trunk · racket · stick

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. hand — help
  5. degree — an amount
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. degree — from a university
  10. land — ground
  11. bulb — for light
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. board — to get on
  18. land — to come down
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. hand — in cards
  21. board — a committee
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bulb — for light
  24. degree — temperature

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