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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  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. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bound — tied together
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. lie — to recline
  7. bound — certain
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bulb — for light
  12. court — of law
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. court — of a king
  16. rush — hurry
  17. pop — soda
  18. bound — obliged
  19. degree — temperature
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. court — for sport
  22. degree — from a university
  23. pop — music
  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