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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: bulb · date · mate · bass · pitch · bark · degree · rash

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — the fruit
  4. degree — temperature
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. mate — to breed
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. degree — an amount
  10. degree — from a university
  11. pitch — completely
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bass — low music
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — a series
  21. mate — a partner
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. mate — a friend
  24. bark — to shout

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