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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
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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: wake · bulb · spring · foot · mate · fork · ground · degree

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. ground — the earth
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. degree — from a university
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. fork — in a road
  8. spring — the season
  9. bulb — for light
  10. mate — to breed
  11. degree — temperature
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. ground — a position
  14. mate — a friend
  15. foot — a measure
  16. spring — a coil
  17. degree — an amount
  18. ground — crushed
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. spring — of water
  21. mate — a partner
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. wake — a trail

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