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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. stock — goods
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. degree — from a university
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bulb — for light
  19. prune — to trim
  20. stock — shares
  21. degree — temperature
  22. hand — in cards
  23. degree — an amount
  24. pass — a permit

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