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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: season · rash · bulb · foot · bowl · bass · degree · vault

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bass — low music
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. season — in sport
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bulb — for light
  8. degree — from a university
  9. rash — a series
  10. degree — temperature
  11. foot — a measure
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. bass — the fish
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. season — of the year
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. degree — an amount
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. vault — a safe
  24. bass — the instrument

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