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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. spring — a coil
  6. deal — to handle
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cue — for pool
  10. fall — to drop
  11. spring — of water
  12. last — final
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — the season
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. degree — an amount
  17. cue — a signal
  18. last — to go on
  19. degree — temperature
  20. degree — from a university
  21. cue — a hint
  22. spring — the season
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. last — finally

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