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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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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: bear · pass · bulb · track · chair · cell · mine · degree

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. track — a path
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. cell — in biology
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. track — a song
  11. pass — a permit
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. chair — a leader
  16. degree — an amount
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. degree — temperature
  19. degree — from a university
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. track — to keep track
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. bear — the animal

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