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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. can — to be able to
  3. degree — from a university
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. degree — temperature
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. root — of a word
  8. ball — a dance
  9. can — a tin
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. ball — a great time
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — a lid
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. can — a tin
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. degree — an amount
  22. root — the cause
  23. root — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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