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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: degree · file · saw · bass · jam · mate · stick · bulb

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. degree — an amount
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bulb — for light
  7. file — a document
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bass — low music
  10. degree — from a university
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. file — a line of people
  13. mate — a partner
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. bulb — for light
  20. mate — to breed
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. degree — temperature
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. file — a tool

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