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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: net · chip · board · degree · bulb · fork · craft · band

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bulb — for light
  4. degree — an amount
  5. net — after costs
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. band — a ring
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. degree — from a university
  14. board — to get on
  15. band — a music group
  16. craft — boats
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. board — a committee
  19. net — in sport
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — to eat
  23. fork — in a road
  24. net — for catching

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