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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. degree — from a university
  3. bound — certain
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. degree — temperature
  8. season — in sport
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. pitch — completely
  11. ball — a great time
  12. season — of the year
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bound — tied together
  15. wax — to grow
  16. bound — obliged
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a dance
  19. degree — an amount
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bulb — for light
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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