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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
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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: spell · root · bass · mine · vault · can · degree · bulb

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. vault — a safe
  4. mine — for digging
  5. bass — low music
  6. root — the cause
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — the fish
  13. spell — magic
  14. can — a tin
  15. root — of a word
  16. degree — temperature
  17. degree — from a university
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. degree — an amount
  20. root — of a plant
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — letters
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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