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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. bulb — for light
  3. tube — a container
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. foot — a measure
  6. degree — from a university
  7. bat — the animal
  8. degree — an amount
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bulb — for light
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. degree — temperature
  16. row — to paddle
  17. row — a line
  18. object — to protest
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. object — an aim
  24. foot — part of the body

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