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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. march — the month
  3. degree — from a university
  4. club — for golf
  5. degree — temperature
  6. march — the month
  7. bulb — for light
  8. charge — electricity
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. press — to push
  11. charge — a price
  12. club — for dancing
  13. charge — in control
  14. club — a group
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. press — newspapers
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bulb — for light
  23. degree — an amount
  24. march — music

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