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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 my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. bear — the animal
  3. degree — from a university
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bulb — for light
  9. rock — music
  10. rash — a series
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a line of people
  15. mug — a face
  16. degree — an amount
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. file — a document
  19. bulb — for light
  20. mug — to rob
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rash — hasty
  23. mug — a cup
  24. rock — to move gently

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