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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. court — for sport
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bulb — for light
  5. degree — temperature
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. net — for catching
  8. chip — for betting
  9. bulb — for light
  10. degree — from a university
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. chip — to eat
  13. net — in sport
  14. court — of a king
  15. degree — an amount
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. face — to confront
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mug — to rob
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. net — after costs
  23. face — to point toward
  24. court — of law

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