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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: staff · bound · mine · degree · can · bulb · roll · bank

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. bulb — for light
  3. degree — temperature
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bound — tied together
  6. mine — for digging
  7. roll — a cake
  8. staff — employees
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. can — a tin
  11. degree — from a university
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. staff — a stick
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bank — of a river
  16. staff — employees
  17. bank — for money
  18. roll — a list
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. can — a tin
  21. bulb — for light
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. bank — for money
  24. bound — certain

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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