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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. scale — in music
  4. tube — a container
  5. bulb — for light
  6. deal — to handle
  7. fine — all right
  8. degree — an amount
  9. degree — temperature
  10. bulb — for light
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. degree — from a university
  13. rash — a series
  14. scale — size or range
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fine — high quality
  17. key — the most important part
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. key — for a lock
  20. key — in music
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. rash — hasty
  24. deal — a big deal

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