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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bowl · rest · bulb · degree · chair · pass

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. degree — temperature
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. bulb — for light
  6. rest — a break
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. pass — a permit
  9. chair — a leader
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. rest — what's left
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. degree — an amount
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. rest — what's left
  18. degree — from a university

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