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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. scale — size or range
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. degree — an amount
  7. degree — temperature
  8. degree — from a university
  9. bear — the animal
  10. lean — thin
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. last — final
  15. last — finally
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. last — to go on
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. lean — to bend
  20. bear — the animal
  21. scale — in music
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pass — a permit
  24. bulb — of a plant

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