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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: bulb · rule · degree · rush · root · sharp · key · bear

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rule — government
  3. bulb — for light
  4. key — in music
  5. sharp — clever
  6. root — the cause
  7. degree — from a university
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. bear — the animal
  10. key — the most important part
  11. degree — temperature
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rule — a law
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bulb — for light
  17. root — of a plant
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. degree — an amount
  20. key — for a lock
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. root — of a word

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