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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. degree — an amount
  5. bound — obliged
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — magic
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bound — tied together
  11. net — after costs
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. net — in sport
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a dance
  16. bound — certain
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. degree — from a university
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. net — for catching
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. spell — letters
  24. degree — temperature

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