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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.

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: straw · mine · nail · degree · season · board · bowl · bay

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. degree — from a university
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. board — a committee
  7. degree — an amount
  8. season — of the year
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. degree — temperature
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. season — in sport
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. board — to get on
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mine — for digging
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. straw — dry grass

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