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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 120 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: content · bowl · pop · temple · bass · mug · saw · bulb

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. mug — to rob
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bass — the fish
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pop — soda
  13. content — happy
  14. pop — music
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. mug — a cup
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. content — the amount
  19. bass — low music
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. saw — the tool
  24. mug — a face

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