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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 116 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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. degree — temperature
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. lean — thin
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — for digging
  7. degree — an amount
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bulb — for light
  10. ball — a great time
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — for pool
  13. degree — from a university
  14. bulb — for light
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. cue — a hint
  21. lean — to bend
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. ball — a dance

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