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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: bulb · bay · lie · degree · land · key · racket · swing

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. degree — temperature
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. swing — music
  7. degree — from a university
  8. swing — in golf
  9. land — ground
  10. bulb — for light
  11. degree — an amount
  12. key — in music
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. key — for a lock
  16. land — to come down
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. key — the most important part
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. swing — to play on
  22. land — a country
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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