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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 116 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: degree · rash · bore · tear · bulb · ball · stand · object

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. degree — an amount
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. stand — to bear
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — to rip
  9. rash — a series
  10. degree — from a university
  11. ball — a great time
  12. bore — to tire
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bulb — for light
  18. object — to protest
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. degree — temperature
  22. ball — a dance
  23. object — a thing
  24. object — an aim

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