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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: foot · march · bulb · cell · jam · degree · pitcher · wake

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. march — the month
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. degree — from a university
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. wake — a trail
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. march — the month
  11. cell — in biology
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. degree — an amount
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. foot — a measure
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. bulb — for light
  19. degree — temperature
  20. bulb — for light
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. cell — a phone
  23. march — music
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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