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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
468
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 · stick · pop · net · key · content · bulb · sharp

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. degree — an amount
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. key — the most important part
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. pop — to visit
  8. net — after costs
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. degree — temperature
  11. pop — music
  12. content — happy
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. pop — soda
  15. key — in music
  16. key — for a lock
  17. bulb — for light
  18. net — for catching
  19. sharp — clever
  20. degree — from a university
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. content — the amount
  23. net — in sport
  24. sharp — exactly

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