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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. degree — from a university
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. degree — temperature
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wind — moving air
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. board — a committee
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. board — to get on
  15. pass — a permit
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. degree — an amount
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bulb — for light
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. wind — moving air
  24. mouse — for a computer

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