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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: rock · bulb · dip · bass · degree · race · prune · bound

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — tied together
  4. degree — an amount
  5. degree — temperature
  6. prune — to trim
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bass — the fish
  10. race — the arms race
  11. rock — music
  12. bulb — for light
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bass — low music
  15. race — a contest
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. race — humankind
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. bound — certain
  21. degree — from a university
  22. dip — to sink
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bulb — for light

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