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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. spring — of water
  3. mug — a cup
  4. fine — high quality
  5. bulb — for light
  6. degree — temperature
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. scale — in music
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. degree — from a university
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. fine — all right
  13. spring — a coil
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. scale — size or range
  18. spring — the season
  19. mug — to rob
  20. game — wild animals
  21. mug — a face
  22. game — a match
  23. bulb — for light
  24. degree — an amount

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