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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. degree — from a university
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. pop — soda
  7. bat — the animal
  8. dip — to sink
  9. mine — for digging
  10. club — a group
  11. club — for dancing
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. degree — an amount
  14. club — for golf
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bulb — for light
  17. degree — temperature
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — for money
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. pop — to visit
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. pop — music

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