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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 120 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: degree · trunk · court · ball · press · present · foot · bulb

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. bulb — for light
  3. degree — temperature
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. present — there
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. degree — an amount
  8. court — of a king
  9. bulb — for light
  10. press — newspapers
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. press — to push
  13. present — the time now
  14. present — a gift
  15. court — of law
  16. ball — a dance
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. court — for sport
  20. press — a publisher
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. ball — a great time
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. degree — from a university

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