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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. land — ground
  3. cap — a hat
  4. key — in music
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. cap — of ice
  8. rest — a break
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. degree — from a university
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. degree — an amount
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. key — the most important part
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — to push
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. cap — a lid
  20. land — to come down
  21. land — a country
  22. key — for a lock
  23. press — newspapers
  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