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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bulb — for light
  3. ball — a dance
  4. degree — an amount
  5. degree — temperature
  6. land — a country
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. land — to come down
  9. kid — to tease
  10. ball — a great time
  11. kid — child
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bulb — for light
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. land — ground
  23. degree — from a university
  24. cabinet — ministers

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