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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: cell · mouse · degree · object · band · net · bulb · foot

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. bulb — for light
  3. degree — from a university
  4. cell — in biology
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. object — to protest
  7. cell — a phone
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. net — for catching
  10. object — an aim
  11. object — a thing
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. degree — temperature
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. net — after costs
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. band — a music group
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. net — in sport
  20. band — a ring
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. degree — an amount

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