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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: bulb · row · bay · degree · trunk · net · spring · can

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. row — a line
  3. net — for catching
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. net — in sport
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bulb — for light
  13. spring — of water
  14. degree — an amount
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. net — after costs
  17. spring — a coil
  18. can — a tin
  19. degree — from a university
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. row — to paddle
  24. spring — the season

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