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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 116 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
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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: squash · degree · fine · firm · cue · wind · bulb · season

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. firm — steady
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. firm — a company
  5. cue — for pool
  6. degree — temperature
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. degree — from a university
  11. fine — high quality
  12. wind — moving air
  13. cue — a hint
  14. degree — an amount
  15. fine — all right
  16. squash — the sport
  17. wind — moving air
  18. season — in sport
  19. squash — to crush
  20. bulb — for light
  21. cue — a signal
  22. firm — decided
  23. bulb — for light
  24. squash — the vegetable

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