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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: key · ball · jam · cabinet · bulb · degree · swing · toast

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. degree — temperature
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — the most important part
  7. swing — to play on
  8. key — in music
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. degree — from a university
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. degree — an amount
  15. swing — music
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. toast — bread
  19. swing — in golf
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a great time
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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