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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: roll · key · degree · date · track · bass · lean · bulb

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. date — the fruit
  3. roll — a list
  4. bass — low music
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. key — in music
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bass — the fish
  10. degree — from a university
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. roll — a cake
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. lean — to bend
  15. degree — temperature
  16. key — for a lock
  17. track — a song
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bulb — for light
  22. track — a path
  23. lean — thin
  24. key — the most important part

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