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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: wind · net · bulb · bowl · scale · ball · mate · degree

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. degree — temperature
  3. bulb — for light
  4. net — in sport
  5. bulb — for light
  6. ball — a great time
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mate — a friend
  10. net — after costs
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. wind — moving air
  13. degree — from a university
  14. degree — an amount
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. net — for catching
  19. scale — in music
  20. scale — size or range
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. ball — a dance

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