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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: temple · bank · degree · bulb · perch · race · spell · pop

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. degree — an amount
  3. spell — letters
  4. race — the arms race
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bank — for money
  7. degree — from a university
  8. pop — to visit
  9. bank — for money
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — magic
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. pop — soda
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bulb — for light
  18. race — humankind
  19. pop — music
  20. bulb — for light
  21. race — a contest
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. degree — temperature
  24. temple — a place of worship

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