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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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. degree — an amount
  3. present — the time now
  4. chest — a box
  5. bulb — for light
  6. degree — temperature
  7. row — to paddle
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. present — a gift
  10. track — a path
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. degree — from a university
  13. track — to keep track
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. chest — of your body
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. present — there
  20. chest — of your body
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. row — a line
  23. track — a song
  24. ruler — for measuring

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