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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: wave · prune · degree · march · can · chair · suit · bulb

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  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. suit — to fit
  2. march — music
  3. bulb — for light
  4. march — the month
  5. degree — temperature
  6. prune — to trim
  7. can — a tin
  8. suit — in cards
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. degree — an amount
  15. march — the month
  16. suit — clothes
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. degree — from a university
  23. chair — a leader
  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