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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bass — the fish
  4. root — of a word
  5. pop — soda
  6. degree — temperature
  7. bulb — for light
  8. degree — from a university
  9. shower — rain
  10. bulb — for light
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. root — of a plant
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. root — the cause
  16. land — ground
  17. bass — low music
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. pop — to visit
  20. shower — to wash
  21. pop — music
  22. land — a country
  23. land — to come down
  24. degree — an amount

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