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

Word bank: lean · degree · bowl · arm · tube · patient · bulb · perch

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. tube — the underground
  4. perch — the fish
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. degree — temperature
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bulb — for light
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bulb — for light
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. lean — thin
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. degree — from a university
  23. degree — an amount
  24. tube — a container

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