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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. scale — size or range
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. degree — temperature
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. hand — in cards
  11. scale — in music
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mug — a cup
  15. degree — from a university
  16. stock — goods
  17. mug — a face
  18. stock — shares
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. hand — help
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. bulb — for light
  23. degree — an amount
  24. stock — a soup base

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