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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. cap — a hat
  3. degree — an amount
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bulb — for light
  6. object — to protest
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. object — a thing
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — music
  13. degree — temperature
  14. degree — from a university
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. wound — an injury
  17. rock — a stone
  18. bulb — for light
  19. present — the time now
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. present — a gift
  24. present — there

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