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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bulb — for light
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — a gift
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. degree — from a university
  12. present — there
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. rash — hasty
  16. degree — temperature
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. degree — an amount
  19. season — in sport
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — a short time
  22. rash — a series
  23. spell — letters
  24. season — of the year

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