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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.

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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: bank · suit · chair · club · bulb · degree · rule · face

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. chair — a leader
  3. degree — temperature
  4. suit — clothes
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. degree — from a university
  8. rule — a law
  9. face — to point toward
  10. suit — to fit
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. club — for dancing
  13. club — for golf
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bank — of a river
  16. suit — in cards
  17. club — a group
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rule — government
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. degree — an amount
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — for money
  24. face — to confront

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