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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 116 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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. squash — to crush
  4. field — farmland
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. field — a subject
  8. pop — music
  9. degree — from a university
  10. bulb — for light
  11. squash — the sport
  12. pop — soda
  13. field — for sport
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. degree — an amount
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — thin
  22. pop — to visit
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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