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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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Word bank
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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. degree — an amount
  4. capital — a city
  5. bass — low music
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. tube — a container
  9. bass — the fish
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. degree — temperature
  12. perch — the fish
  13. tube — the underground
  14. capital — money
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. degree — from a university
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rest — a break
  24. bulb — of a plant

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