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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: ruler · saw · mug · toast · net · degree · bulb · shower

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. net — for catching
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. shower — rain
  5. mug — a cup
  6. net — in sport
  7. bulb — for light
  8. degree — from a university
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. net — after costs
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. toast — bread
  15. shower — to wash
  16. degree — temperature
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. degree — an amount
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. mug — a face
  23. mug — to rob
  24. bulb — for light

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