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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: bound · degree · rest · ball · bay · bark · bulb · mine

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  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. rest — what's left
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bound — certain
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bulb — for light
  8. degree — an amount
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. degree — from a university
  14. mine — for digging
  15. ball — a great time
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bound — tied together
  19. degree — temperature
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. rest — a break
  22. rest — what's left
  23. ball — a round shape
  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