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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 · suit · pit · toast · bulb · hide · patient · roll

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. roll — a cake
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. degree — an amount
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. suit — clothes
  7. suit — in cards
  8. toast — bread
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. degree — temperature
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. degree — from a university
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. suit — to fit
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pit — a hole

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