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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. drill — army training
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. degree — temperature
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. drill — the tool
  12. dip — to sink
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. drill — a practice
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bulb — for light
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. degree — from a university
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. degree — an amount
  24. game — wild animals

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