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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. deal — to handle
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. spell — a short time
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. degree — an amount
  14. band — a music group
  15. spell — magic
  16. pass — a permit
  17. bulb — for light
  18. spell — letters
  19. degree — temperature
  20. band — a ring
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. band — a rubber band

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