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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 116 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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. bulb — for light
  3. ball — a dance
  4. drill — the tool
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. mate — a partner
  7. bulb — for light
  8. ball — a great time
  9. degree — temperature
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. rule — government
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bank — of a river
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bank — for money
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rule — a law
  18. mate — a friend
  19. drill — a practice
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. degree — from a university
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bank — for money
  24. drill — army training

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