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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bulb — for light
  3. degree — an amount
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — moving air
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. degree — temperature
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — of a plant
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. root — the cause
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bulb — for light
  16. hand — in cards
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. hand — help
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. degree — from a university
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — the fish
  24. cabinet — ministers

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