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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.

Make a worksheet

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: spring · degree · season · key · bulb · cell · object · bear

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. object — an aim
  3. degree — an amount
  4. bulb — for light
  5. cell — in biology
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. key — for a lock
  8. bear — the animal
  9. cell — a phone
  10. object — a thing
  11. spring — the season
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. spring — a coil
  14. degree — from a university
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. spring — of water
  17. degree — temperature
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. key — the most important part
  20. object — to protest
  21. season — of the year
  22. key — in music
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bear — the animal

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