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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. degree — from a university
  3. stock — shares
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. present — the time now
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bound — certain
  8. bulb — for light
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bound — obliged
  16. plane — a tool
  17. bound — tied together
  18. rush — hurry
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. degree — an amount
  21. present — a gift
  22. degree — temperature
  23. present — there
  24. stock — goods

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