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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. cell — in biology
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bulb — for light
  6. season — in sport
  7. degree — temperature
  8. degree — from a university
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. chip — to eat
  12. cell — a phone
  13. stock — shares
  14. season — of the year
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. roll — a cake
  20. stock — goods
  21. degree — an amount
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. roll — a list

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