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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
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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: rash · degree · wind · chair · toast · court · bulb · spell

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. bulb — for light
  3. degree — temperature
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. spell — letters
  10. degree — an amount
  11. spell — magic
  12. toast — bread
  13. court — of law
  14. court — of a king
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. degree — from a university
  17. court — for sport
  18. spell — a short time
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. bulb — for light
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. rash — hasty
  24. wind — moving air

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