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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. degree — temperature
  3. pit — in a race
  4. firm — steady
  5. court — of a king
  6. degree — an amount
  7. court — of law
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. pit — a hole
  11. root — the cause
  12. tube — the underground
  13. bulb — for light
  14. root — of a word
  15. degree — from a university
  16. firm — decided
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. firm — a company
  19. tube — a container
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. dip — to sink
  22. root — of a plant
  23. tube — in a tire
  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