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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: cue · season · bulb · ball · charge · temple · degree · rule

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. ball — a dance
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. ball — a great time
  7. cue — a hint
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. season — in sport
  10. cue — for pool
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rule — government
  15. degree — temperature
  16. cue — a signal
  17. season — of the year
  18. charge — a price
  19. degree — from a university
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — electricity
  23. rule — a law
  24. degree — an amount

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