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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. scale — size or range
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. scale — in music
  6. rush — hurry
  7. bulb — for light
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bound — certain
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. degree — temperature
  14. degree — from a university
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. deal — to handle
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bulb — for light
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bound — obliged
  24. degree — an amount

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