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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: can · bulb · degree · race · band · pop · bowl · stand

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. degree — temperature
  5. degree — an amount
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. band — a music group
  13. can — a tin
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. pop — soda
  16. race — a contest
  17. pop — to visit
  18. race — humankind
  19. race — the arms race
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. can — a tin
  23. pop — music
  24. band — a ring

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