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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 120 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: degree · object · bulb · mug · tube · rock · saw · mate

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mate — to breed
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bulb — for light
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. mug — a cup
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mate — a partner
  12. rock — a stone
  13. object — a thing
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. object — to protest
  16. mug — a face
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. degree — from a university
  19. object — an aim
  20. degree — temperature
  21. degree — an amount
  22. saw — the tool
  23. tube — a container
  24. rock — music

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