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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.

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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: mate · bank · rest · bulb · degree · tube · chip · kick

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bulb — for light
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. rest — what's left
  5. tube — a container
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mate — a partner
  8. bank — for money
  9. degree — from a university
  10. chip — to eat
  11. rest — a break
  12. kick — in football
  13. mate — a friend
  14. degree — an amount
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bank — for money
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. rest — what's left
  22. chip — for betting
  23. degree — temperature
  24. kick — a thrill

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