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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. pitch — completely
  3. cue — for pool
  4. degree — temperature
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bass — the fish
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. cue — a signal
  14. degree — from a university
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. cue — a hint
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. degree — an amount

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