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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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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: roll · bulb · capital · squash · degree · rock · firm · stand

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. bulb — for light
  3. squash — the sport
  4. degree — from a university
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. squash — to crush
  7. rock — music
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. bulb — for light
  10. stand — to bear
  11. capital — a city
  12. roll — a list
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. firm — steady
  15. rock — a stone
  16. degree — temperature
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. capital — money
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. degree — an amount
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. firm — a company
  24. roll — a cake

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