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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — music
  4. degree — from a university
  5. file — a tool
  6. degree — an amount
  7. file — a line of people
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. scale — size or range
  12. rock — a stone
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. bulb — for light
  15. file — a document
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. scale — in music
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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