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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. bulb — for light
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. chip — to eat
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. chip — for betting
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. foot — a measure
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. degree — temperature
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bulb — for light
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — a match
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. date — the fruit
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. stand — to bear
  24. degree — from a university

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