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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. degree — temperature
  3. shower — to wash
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. bulb — for light
  9. object — an aim
  10. degree — an amount
  11. can — to be able to
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. shower — rain
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. object — to protest
  17. pitch — completely
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. bulb — for light
  20. degree — from a university
  21. object — a thing
  22. can — a tin
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. can — a tin

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