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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. degree — from a university
  6. date — the fruit
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stock — goods
  12. court — of a king
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. lie — to recline
  15. stock — shares
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. court — of law
  18. degree — temperature
  19. degree — an amount
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. court — for sport
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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