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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. firm — decided
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bear — the animal
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. spring — a coil
  9. vault — a safe
  10. track — to keep track
  11. degree — from a university
  12. track — a song
  13. firm — steady
  14. spring — of water
  15. firm — a company
  16. spring — the season
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. degree — an amount
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. track — a path
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. bulb — for light
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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