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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: fine · rock · sharp · foot · bulb · field · degree · staff

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. degree — temperature
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. field — a subject
  5. rock — a stone
  6. degree — from a university
  7. fine — all right
  8. foot — a measure
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. degree — an amount
  11. rock — music
  12. fine — high quality
  13. staff — a stick
  14. field — for sport
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. staff — employees
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. bulb — for light
  21. staff — employees
  22. bulb — for light
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. fine — a penalty

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