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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.

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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 · degree · content · bulb · coach · squash · swing · ruler

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. degree — from a university
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. board — a committee
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. swing — to play on
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. swing — music
  9. bulb — for light
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. content — the amount
  12. content — happy
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. bulb — for light
  16. squash — the sport
  17. degree — an amount
  18. squash — to crush
  19. board — to get on
  20. swing — in golf
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. ruler — a monarch

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