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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. degree — from a university
  3. bulb — for light
  4. capital — money
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. capital — a city
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. degree — temperature
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. degree — an amount
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. tube — a container
  24. sharp — clever

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