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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: lean · bulb · stock · net · degree · mine · season · bay

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. season — of the year
  4. mine — for digging
  5. net — after costs
  6. season — in sport
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. stock — goods
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. net — in sport
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — to bend
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. degree — an amount
  15. stock — shares
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. lean — thin
  20. net — for catching
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bulb — for light
  24. degree — from a university

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