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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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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 · stick · trunk · swing · bay · degree · land · pit

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. bulb — for light
  4. degree — temperature
  5. bulb — for light
  6. degree — an amount
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pit — a hole
  10. degree — from a university
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. swing — in golf
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. swing — to play on
  20. land — ground
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. swing — music
  24. land — to come down

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