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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 120 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 · staff · rock · bulb · game · trunk · degree · kid

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. staff — employees
  4. bulb — for light
  5. game — a match
  6. kid — to tease
  7. bulb — for light
  8. staff — a stick
  9. rock — music
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. board — a committee
  12. game — wild animals
  13. degree — from a university
  14. degree — an amount
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. staff — employees
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. degree — temperature
  20. rock — a stone
  21. board — to get on
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. kid — child

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