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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. degree — temperature
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. degree — an amount
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bark — to shout
  10. court — of law
  11. bass — low music
  12. rest — a break
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. court — of a king
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. court — for sport
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. degree — from a university
  24. mouse — the animal

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