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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — hasty
  4. firm — a company
  5. degree — from a university
  6. degree — temperature
  7. degree — an amount
  8. sharp — clever
  9. firm — decided
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. object — a thing
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. object — an aim
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. spring — a coil
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. spring — the season
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. firm — steady
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. object — to protest
  23. spring — of water
  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