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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. degree — temperature
  4. bulb — for light
  5. degree — an amount
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. current — of water
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bass — low music
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. current — happening now
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bass — the fish
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. degree — from a university
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. kick — in football
  20. current — electric
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bulb — for light
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. bulb — of a plant

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