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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bulb · cell · leaves · march · suit · present · bass · degree

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. march — music
  4. march — the month
  5. bulb — for light
  6. degree — from a university
  7. suit — clothes
  8. degree — temperature
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. present — a gift
  11. march — the month
  12. degree — an amount
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. suit — in cards
  15. bulb — for light
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. present — there
  18. bass — the fish
  19. suit — to fit
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. bass — low music
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. present — the time now
  24. cell — in biology

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