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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: roll · bulb · mate · field · degree · squash · suit · ruler

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. field — for sport
  3. bulb — for light
  4. suit — in cards
  5. degree — an amount
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. mate — to breed
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. roll — a list
  10. mate — a partner
  11. bulb — for light
  12. field — farmland
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. field — a subject
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. roll — a cake
  17. suit — clothes
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. mate — a friend
  20. squash — to crush
  21. suit — to fit
  22. squash — the sport
  23. degree — temperature
  24. roll — on a roll

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