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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.

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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: stock · degree · can · bulb · season · bass · mark · pop

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pop — music
  3. degree — temperature
  4. bulb — for light
  5. stock — goods
  6. season — of the year
  7. degree — from a university
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. degree — an amount
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. can — a tin
  14. bass — low music
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. mark — a grade
  17. season — in sport
  18. can — a tin
  19. pop — soda
  20. stock — shares
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. can — to be able to
  24. pop — to visit

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