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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  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. deal — an agreement
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. bank — of a river
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. bank — for money
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bulb — for light
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — for digging
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. degree — from a university
  14. rock — music
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bank — for money
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. deal — to handle
  19. degree — temperature
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stem — to come from
  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