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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: wound · lie · bulb · jam · degree · track · calf · racket

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. degree — an amount
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wound — an injury
  7. track — to keep track
  8. degree — temperature
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. track — a song
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. bulb — for light
  17. degree — from a university
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. track — a path
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. lie — to recline
  23. wound — an injury
  24. lie — an untruth

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