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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. race — humankind
  4. bass — low music
  5. race — the arms race
  6. suit — to fit
  7. clip — for paper
  8. degree — from a university
  9. degree — temperature
  10. suit — clothes
  11. degree — an amount
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. clip — a video
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. root — of a word
  17. clip — to cut
  18. root — the cause
  19. suit — in cards
  20. root — of a plant
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — the fish
  24. race — a contest

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