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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. chip — to eat
  6. degree — temperature
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. chip — for betting
  9. spell — magic
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bore — to drill
  12. spell — letters
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. stem — to come from
  17. degree — from a university
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. fine — high quality
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. degree — an amount
  22. bulb — for light
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. spell — a short time

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