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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 120 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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. fall — the season
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bass — low music
  7. club — for golf
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. degree — temperature
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. degree — an amount
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. rock — music
  14. club — for dancing
  15. ball — a dance
  16. deal — to handle
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. fall — to drop
  19. rock — a stone
  20. bass — the fish
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. club — a group
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. bass — the instrument

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