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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: wax · jam · pit · net · swing · wound · bulb · degree

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. degree — temperature
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. degree — an amount
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. degree — from a university
  10. pit — in a race
  11. swing — to play on
  12. wound — an injury
  13. net — after costs
  14. wax — to grow
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. net — for catching
  17. swing — music
  18. pit — a hole
  19. bulb — for light
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. swing — in golf
  22. net — in sport
  23. bulb — for light
  24. wax — in the ear

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