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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: bulb · row · degree · jam · fall · mate · squash · safe

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a line
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. mate — a friend
  8. degree — temperature
  9. squash — the sport
  10. degree — an amount
  11. fall — to drop
  12. degree — from a university
  13. mate — a partner
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. mate — to breed
  21. fall — to drop
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. fall — the season
  24. bulb — for light

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