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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. cap — a hat
  3. degree — from a university
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. degree — an amount
  6. cap — of ice
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wake — a trail
  11. fall — to drop
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. cap — a lid
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. degree — temperature
  16. fall — to drop
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bulb — for light
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fall — the season
  22. fine — all right
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. wake — before a funeral

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