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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: bulb · fan · object · tube · march · degree · ruler · wind

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. wind — moving air
  3. march — the month
  4. wind — moving air
  5. degree — an amount
  6. bulb — for light
  7. degree — from a university
  8. object — to protest
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. object — an aim
  11. march — music
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. object — a thing
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. tube — the underground
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. tube — a container
  19. degree — temperature
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. march — the month
  23. bulb — for light
  24. fan — a supporter

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