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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 my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. bulb — for light
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. degree — from a university
  5. stock — shares
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. club — a group
  8. bank — for money
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. chair — a leader
  11. bank — for money
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. club — for golf
  14. fork — in a road
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bank — of a river
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. club — for dancing
  22. degree — an amount
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stock — goods

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