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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. key — for a lock
  8. snap — to click
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. key — in music
  12. degree — from a university
  13. degree — an amount
  14. tube — a container
  15. bulb — for light
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. wake — a trail
  18. tube — the underground
  19. key — the most important part
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. bank — for money

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