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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. row — a line
  3. mug — to rob
  4. spring — a coil
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pop — soda
  7. field — for sport
  8. degree — temperature
  9. key — for a lock
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. degree — an amount
  12. pop — to visit
  13. mug — a face
  14. field — farmland
  15. spring — of water
  16. mug — a cup
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. key — in music
  19. spring — the season
  20. bulb — for light
  21. pop — music
  22. field — a subject
  23. degree — from a university
  24. key — the most important part

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