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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: bore · mark · staff · shower · bass · bulb · degree · stand

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  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. bass — the instrument
  2. bulb — for light
  3. stand — to bear
  4. staff — employees
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. degree — temperature
  7. staff — a stick
  8. degree — an amount
  9. shower — rain
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mark — a trace
  12. bass — the fish
  13. shower — to wash
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. bore — to tire
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. degree — from a university
  20. bore — to drill
  21. mark — a grade
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. staff — employees
  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