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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. degree — from a university
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bulb — for light
  8. field — for sport
  9. club — a group
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bank — for money
  12. club — for dancing
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. field — a subject
  15. club — for golf
  16. field — farmland
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cell — a phone
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. degree — temperature
  22. bank — of a river
  23. degree — an amount
  24. bank — for money

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