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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: degree · band · suit · cell · fan · stick · fork · bulb

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. suit — clothes
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. band — a music group
  7. degree — an amount
  8. suit — to fit
  9. fork — in a road
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. degree — temperature
  12. bulb — for light
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. degree — from a university
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. cell — a phone
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. suit — in cards
  20. band — a ring
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. cell — in a prison

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