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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. rock — a stone
  3. bulb — for light
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. degree — temperature
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bulb — for light
  9. degree — from a university
  10. wound — an injury
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. degree — an amount
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rock — music
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. mine — for digging
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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