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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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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 · pass · swing · row · straw · degree · fork · stand

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. row — a line
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. swing — music
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. bulb — for light
  12. swing — in golf
  13. degree — from a university
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stand — to bear
  17. fork — in a road
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. swing — to play on
  22. bulb — for light
  23. row — to paddle
  24. degree — temperature

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