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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: bulb · tear · stock · degree · cabinet · calf · ruler · bass

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. degree — an amount
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. degree — temperature
  8. stock — goods
  9. tear — to rip
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. degree — from a university
  12. bass — the fish
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bass — low music
  16. tear — from crying
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. bulb — for light
  19. tear — from crying
  20. stock — shares
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. bulb — for light

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