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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 120 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
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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: safe · bulb · spring · fork · firm · mine · foot · degree

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. degree — from a university
  3. foot — a measure
  4. bulb — for light
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. firm — steady
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. firm — a company
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. mine — for digging
  11. spring — of water
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. degree — temperature
  15. firm — decided
  16. spring — the season
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. degree — an amount
  21. fork — in a road
  22. spring — a coil
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mine — belonging to me

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