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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: pop · mine · bulb · row · degree · tear · pass · rock

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rock — music
  3. degree — from a university
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. rock — a stone
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pop — music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. degree — temperature
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. degree — an amount
  13. pop — soda
  14. bulb — for light
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. pop — to visit
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. row — to paddle
  20. tear — from crying
  21. mine — for digging
  22. row — a line
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — to rip

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