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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: bulb · swing · mate · wound · degree · can · key · chip

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. chip — for betting
  3. swing — to play on
  4. can — a tin
  5. key — in music
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. can — a tin
  8. mate — a partner
  9. wound — an injury
  10. key — the most important part
  11. swing — in golf
  12. degree — an amount
  13. bulb — for light
  14. degree — temperature
  15. key — for a lock
  16. chip — to eat
  17. mate — a friend
  18. swing — music
  19. bulb — for light
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. mate — to breed
  23. wound — an injury
  24. can — to be able to

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