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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. bulb — for light
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. firm — a company
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. degree — from a university
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bulb — for light
  14. ball — a great time
  15. degree — temperature
  16. ball — a dance
  17. firm — steady
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. firm — decided
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. lean — thin
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. ball — a round shape

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