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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.

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: plane · row · board · drill · craft · pitch · degree · bulb

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. degree — temperature
  4. degree — an amount
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. plane — a tool
  7. drill — the tool
  8. bulb — for light
  9. craft — a skill
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. drill — army training
  12. board — to get on
  13. degree — from a university
  14. drill — a practice
  15. craft — boats
  16. bulb — for light
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. board — a committee
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. row — to paddle
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. pitch — completely

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