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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.

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: tear · shower · ruler · bulb · charge · degree · bass · club

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. charge — a price
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. charge — in control
  7. tear — to rip
  8. bass — low music
  9. degree — temperature
  10. charge — electricity
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. bulb — for light
  13. tear — from crying
  14. degree — an amount
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. tear — from crying
  17. degree — from a university
  18. club — a group
  19. club — for golf
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bass — the fish
  22. shower — to wash
  23. club — for dancing
  24. shower — rain

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