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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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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: plane · bay · degree · march · squash · bulb · roll · rest

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. roll — a list
  5. march — the month
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. degree — from a university
  10. bulb — for light
  11. degree — temperature
  12. squash — to crush
  13. march — music
  14. rest — a break
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. plane — a tool
  17. roll — a cake
  18. rest — what's left
  19. march — the month
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. rest — what's left
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. degree — an amount

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