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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 120 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. current — of water
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. degree — an amount
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. degree — from a university
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. band — a music group
  11. stock — goods
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. bulb — for light
  14. deal — to handle
  15. current — electric
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bear — the animal
  18. band — a ring
  19. current — happening now
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. stock — shares
  22. bear — the animal
  23. degree — temperature
  24. bulb — for light

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