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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: degree · suit · bulb · fan · board · field · bank · bowl

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  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. degree — an amount
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bank — for money
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. field — farmland
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. board — a committee
  12. bank — for money
  13. suit — clothes
  14. field — a subject
  15. field — for sport
  16. suit — to fit
  17. suit — in cards
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bulb — for light
  21. board — to get on
  22. degree — temperature
  23. fan — a supporter
  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