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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 · degree · saw · toast · cell · fan · bass · board

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bass — the fish
  3. degree — an amount
  4. cell — a phone
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. degree — temperature
  9. bass — low music
  10. saw — the tool
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. toast — bread
  13. bulb — for light
  14. board — a committee
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cell — in biology
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. degree — from a university
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bulb — for light
  23. board — to get on
  24. toast — the most admired

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