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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.

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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: rock · bulb · last · mouse · degree · ball · bank · swing

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. last — final
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. swing — to play on
  5. last — to go on
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. degree — from a university
  8. rock — a stone
  9. swing — music
  10. bank — for money
  11. last — finally
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — of a river
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rock — music
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. degree — temperature
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. degree — an amount
  24. swing — in golf

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