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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. bass — the fish
  3. club — a group
  4. pop — music
  5. bass — low music
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. club — for golf
  9. pop — to visit
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. degree — an amount
  12. rash — a series
  13. craft — boats
  14. club — for dancing
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. pop — soda
  19. craft — a skill
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. degree — from a university
  23. rash — hasty
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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