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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. land — to come down
  3. degree — temperature
  4. degree — from a university
  5. bank — of a river
  6. cue — a signal
  7. suit — clothes
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. suit — to fit
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. land — ground
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. season — in sport
  14. date — the fruit
  15. bulb — for light
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bulb — for light
  18. degree — an amount
  19. season — of the year
  20. cue — a hint
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — for money
  23. land — a country
  24. cue — for pool

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