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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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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: club · firm · rule · degree · arm · bulb · roll · ruler

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. bulb — for light
  3. degree — temperature
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. club — for golf
  7. degree — an amount
  8. club — for dancing
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. firm — decided
  11. degree — from a university
  12. roll — a cake
  13. roll — a list
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. firm — a company
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bulb — for light
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. rule — government
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. firm — steady
  24. club — a group

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