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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 120 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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. cue — a hint
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. bass — low music
  5. degree — from a university
  6. firm — decided
  7. bulb — for light
  8. degree — temperature
  9. degree — an amount
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. firm — a company
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. cue — a signal
  14. kick — in football
  15. vault — a safe
  16. chair — a leader
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. cue — for pool
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. bass — the fish
  22. firm — steady
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. bass — the instrument

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