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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
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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: fan · bulb · pitch · root · bass · suit · drill · degree

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. root — of a plant
  3. degree — temperature
  4. drill — a practice
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. suit — to fit
  7. root — the cause
  8. drill — army training
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. root — of a word
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. degree — an amount
  15. degree — from a university
  16. drill — the tool
  17. suit — clothes
  18. suit — in cards
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bass — low music
  21. pitch — completely
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — for light
  24. fan — to cool the air

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