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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: bass · bulb · mate · ball · degree · calf · face · prune

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bulb — for light
  6. mate — a partner
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. face — to point toward
  10. face — to confront
  11. mate — a friend
  12. ball — a dance
  13. degree — an amount
  14. bass — low music
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. degree — temperature
  17. ball — a great time
  18. prune — to trim
  19. face — part of the head
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. bulb — for light
  22. degree — from a university
  23. mate — to breed
  24. bulb — of a plant

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