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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fork · degree · tube · bulb · cabinet · wax · key · net

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. bulb — for light
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — in music
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. wax — to grow
  8. net — after costs
  9. tube — a container
  10. key — for a lock
  11. net — for catching
  12. degree — temperature
  13. degree — an amount
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fork — in a road
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. net — in sport
  22. degree — from a university
  23. tube — the underground
  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