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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. degree — from a university
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. degree — temperature
  6. foot — a measure
  7. tube — a container
  8. roll — a cake
  9. bulb — for light
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. degree — an amount
  12. scale — in music
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. tube — the underground
  16. fork — in a road
  17. bulb — for light
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. stand — to bear
  22. roll — a list
  23. scale — size or range
  24. scale — for weighing

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