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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: tube · degree · bulb · club · trunk · last · season · jam

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. tube — a container
  4. last — final
  5. tube — the underground
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bulb — for light
  10. club — for golf
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. degree — from a university
  14. bulb — for light
  15. last — finally
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. club — for dancing
  18. season — of the year
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. degree — temperature
  23. club — a group
  24. last — to go on

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