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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. rock — a stone
  3. degree — temperature
  4. mug — to rob
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. spring — a coil
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. spring — of water
  9. spring — the season
  10. degree — an amount
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. mug — a face
  13. rock — music
  14. bulb — for light
  15. chip — for betting
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. stand — to bear
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mug — a cup
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. chip — to eat

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