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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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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. degree — temperature
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. degree — an amount
  6. wound — an injury
  7. tear — from crying
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. ground — crushed
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wound — an injury
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. court — of a king
  14. ground — the earth
  15. court — of law
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. ground — a position
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. mark — a grade
  20. court — for sport
  21. degree — from a university
  22. tear — to rip
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. tear — from crying

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