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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 lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. degree — from a university
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. pop — music
  5. toast — bread
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bulb — for light
  12. degree — temperature
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pop — soda
  15. root — of a word
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bulb — for light
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. degree — an amount
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. root — the cause
  23. root — of a plant
  24. bulb — of a plant

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