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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 120 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: pass · dip · ball · straw · bulb · wind · perch · degree

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. degree — an amount
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. ball — a great time
  10. pass — a permit
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. bulb — for light
  13. perch — the fish
  14. dip — to sink
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a dance
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — moving air
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. bulb — for light
  23. degree — from a university
  24. pass — to spend time

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