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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: shower · degree · lean · bulb · mark · club · object · plane

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. club — for dancing
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. club — a group
  5. shower — rain
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. degree — an amount
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. bulb — for light
  14. lean — to bend
  15. shower — to wash
  16. mark — a trace
  17. degree — from a university
  18. degree — temperature
  19. object — an aim
  20. object — to protest
  21. lean — thin
  22. mark — a grade
  23. bulb — for light
  24. club — for golf

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