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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 · staff · plane · current · bulb · prune · bore

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. prune — to trim
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. current — electric
  7. current — of water
  8. bore — to drill
  9. staff — employees
  10. bore — to tire
  11. staff — employees
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. degree — an amount
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. staff — a stick
  16. degree — temperature
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. board — a committee
  19. current — happening now
  20. bulb — for light
  21. degree — from a university
  22. prune — to trim
  23. plane — a tool
  24. bulb — for light

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