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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: degree · board · bore · trunk · track · safe · bulb · foot

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. bulb — for light
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bore — to tire
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. degree — an amount
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bore — to drill
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. degree — from a university
  11. board — a committee
  12. track — a song
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. track — to keep track
  17. degree — temperature
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. board — to get on
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. bulb — for light
  24. foot — a measure

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