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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 120 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. drill — the tool
  3. object — to protest
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. degree — an amount
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. can — to be able to
  8. drill — a practice
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. can — a tin
  14. object — an aim
  15. object — a thing
  16. degree — temperature
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bass — low music
  19. ground — the earth
  20. drill — army training
  21. bulb — for light
  22. ground — a position
  23. ground — crushed
  24. degree — from a university

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