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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: degree · cap · wound · toast · rock · court · bulb · firm

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. rock — a stone
  3. degree — temperature
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. degree — from a university
  6. wound — an injury
  7. court — of a king
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. bulb — for light
  10. firm — decided
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. court — for sport
  13. rock — music
  14. bulb — for light
  15. degree — an amount
  16. firm — steady
  17. toast — bread
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. cap — of ice
  21. court — of law
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — a hat
  24. wound — an injury

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