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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.

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: chest · pass · tube · degree · bulb · mine · cabinet · bowl

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. pass — a permit
  3. bulb — for light
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mine — for digging
  8. chest — of your body
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. tube — a container
  18. degree — from a university
  19. tube — the underground
  20. degree — an amount
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. chest — a box
  23. degree — temperature
  24. pass — to succeed

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