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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. cap — of ice
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. degree — from a university
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bat — the animal
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cap — a lid
  11. mine — for digging
  12. cap — a hat
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. band — a music group
  16. degree — temperature
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rock — a stone
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. band — a ring
  24. rock — music

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