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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 116 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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. craft — boats
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. degree — from a university
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. cell — in biology
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. degree — temperature
  10. bass — the fish
  11. object — a thing
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. cell — a phone
  14. object — to protest
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. degree — an amount
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bear — the animal
  19. object — an aim
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. bear — the animal
  23. wax — to grow
  24. craft — a skill

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