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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. net — after costs
  4. bulb — for light
  5. net — for catching
  6. club — for golf
  7. fork — in a road
  8. club — for dancing
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. pit — in a race
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a friend
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pit — a hole
  18. degree — from a university
  19. bulb — for light
  20. degree — temperature
  21. mate — a partner
  22. club — a group
  23. net — in sport
  24. cabinet — ministers

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