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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mine — for digging
  4. bulb — for light
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. roll — a cake
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. pit — in a race
  10. roll — a list
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. stem — to come from
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. degree — an amount
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. degree — temperature
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — to crush
  24. degree — from a university

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