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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. bulb — for light
  4. degree — from a university
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — moving air
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. game — wild animals
  11. pit — in a race
  12. game — a match
  13. bulb — for light
  14. degree — an amount
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. degree — temperature
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. stem — to come from
  22. pit — a hole
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. deal — to handle

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