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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: degree · present · pit · squash · bulb · kid · bass · trunk

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pit — in a race
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. present — there
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. kid — to tease
  12. bass — low music
  13. degree — an amount
  14. present — a gift
  15. present — the time now
  16. degree — temperature
  17. bass — the fish
  18. squash — to crush
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. pit — a hole
  21. squash — the sport
  22. degree — from a university
  23. kid — child
  24. bass — the instrument

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