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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. degree — temperature
  4. chip — for betting
  5. staff — employees
  6. chip — to eat
  7. tear — from crying
  8. object — an aim
  9. perch — the fish
  10. degree — an amount
  11. staff — a stick
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. tear — to rip
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. tear — from crying
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. object — a thing
  20. degree — from a university
  21. bulb — for light
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. staff — employees
  24. object — to protest

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