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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. field — farmland
  3. spring — a coil
  4. spring — the season
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. degree — an amount
  7. fine — high quality
  8. field — for sport
  9. spring — of water
  10. fine — all right
  11. field — a subject
  12. bulb — for light
  13. mate — to breed
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mate — a partner
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. vault — a safe
  19. mate — a friend
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. degree — from a university
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. leaves — lets stay

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