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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: ground · board · bear · season · rock · degree · saw · firm

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. season — of the year
  3. firm — steady
  4. ground — the earth
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. ground — crushed
  7. firm — a company
  8. degree — from a university
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. degree — an amount
  11. firm — decided
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. saw — the tool
  17. rock — music
  18. ground — a position
  19. saw — the tool
  20. degree — temperature
  21. board — to get on
  22. season — in sport
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. season — to add flavour

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