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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. degree — temperature
  3. rock — music
  4. row — to paddle
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. march — the month
  8. row — a line
  9. degree — from a university
  10. march — music
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. squash — the sport
  14. march — the month
  15. bulb — for light
  16. squash — to crush
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rock — a stone
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. degree — an amount
  24. pass — a permit

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