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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: bass · degree · bound · pass · bulb · chip · cabinet · snap

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. degree — an amount
  3. bulb — for light
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. bulb — for light
  7. chip — for betting
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. snap — to click
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bound — tied together
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. degree — temperature
  19. bound — obliged
  20. degree — from a university
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. bass — the fish
  23. pass — a permit
  24. bass — low music

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