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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 116 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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. firm — steady
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mark — a trace
  5. lean — to bend
  6. march — the month
  7. ball — a great time
  8. firm — decided
  9. ball — a dance
  10. degree — from a university
  11. firm — a company
  12. object — to protest
  13. degree — temperature
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. march — music
  16. lean — thin
  17. degree — an amount
  18. march — the month
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. object — an aim
  21. object — a thing
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. mark — a grade
  24. bulb — for light

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