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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: bulb · leaves · racket · bass · pop · root · roll · degree

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. pop — music
  3. root — of a word
  4. bulb — for light
  5. roll — a list
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. bass — low music
  9. pop — to visit
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. root — of a plant
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. pop — soda
  14. degree — from a university
  15. bulb — for light
  16. degree — temperature
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. root — the cause
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — the fish
  24. degree — an amount

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