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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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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: mouse · root · fine · bowl · degree · wind · board · club

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. fine — high quality
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. board — a committee
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. root — of a plant
  7. wind — moving air
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. board — to get on
  10. root — the cause
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. club — for dancing
  14. degree — an amount
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. club — for golf
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. degree — from a university
  19. degree — temperature
  20. root — of a word
  21. fine — all right
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. wind — moving air
  24. mouse — the animal

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