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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: pitcher · mate · fine · bank · rest · bulb · object · degree

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. mate — to breed
  4. bank — for money
  5. object — an aim
  6. rest — a break
  7. object — to protest
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. fine — high quality
  11. mate — a partner
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bank — for money
  14. mate — a friend
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bulb — for light
  18. degree — an amount
  19. fine — all right
  20. bank — of a river
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. rest — what's left
  23. degree — temperature
  24. degree — from a university

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