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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: plane · row · board · safe · degree · squash · bulb · fork

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. degree — an amount
  3. board — to get on
  4. squash — to crush
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. squash — the sport
  8. row — a line
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bulb — for light
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. board — a committee
  16. bulb — for light
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. degree — temperature
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. fork — in a road
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. degree — from a university

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