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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: bear · rash · degree · mug · current · bulb · root · pitcher

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. degree — temperature
  3. current — happening now
  4. mug — a cup
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mug — a face
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. degree — an amount
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. rash — a series
  14. mug — to rob
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. root — of a plant
  17. rash — hasty
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. current — electric
  21. root — of a word
  22. current — of water
  23. root — the cause
  24. degree — from a university

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