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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: net · temple · bulb · bark · season · degree

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. net — for catching
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. degree — temperature
  7. net — after costs
  8. bulb — for light
  9. degree — from a university
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. net — in sport
  13. season — in sport
  14. degree — an amount
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bark — to shout
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — side of the head

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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