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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cold — an illness
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. bulb — for light
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. degree — an amount
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. degree — temperature
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. chair — a leader
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. staff — employees
  16. degree — from a university
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. cold — not warm

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