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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bass — low music
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. degree — from a university
  10. perch — the fish
  11. degree — an amount
  12. rest — a break
  13. rest — what's left
  14. band — a ring
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. bass — the fish
  18. tube — the underground
  19. band — a music group
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. rest — what's left
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. tube — a container

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