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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: trunk · mark · wind · drill · bulb · degree · fork · suit

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. suit — clothes
  6. mark — a grade
  7. drill — a practice
  8. suit — to fit
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. drill — the tool
  12. degree — an amount
  13. degree — temperature
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. wind — moving air
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. wind — moving air
  18. suit — in cards
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. drill — army training
  22. mark — a trace
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. bulb — for light

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