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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. key — in music
  3. spring — the season
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — to rob
  6. swing — in golf
  7. bear — the animal
  8. spring — of water
  9. bulb — for light
  10. swing — music
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bear — the animal
  13. degree — an amount
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. spring — a coil
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. face — part of the head
  20. mug — a face
  21. face — to confront
  22. swing — to play on
  23. face — to point toward
  24. degree — temperature

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