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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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468
Word bank
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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. degree — temperature
  3. degree — an amount
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. vault — a safe
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. degree — from a university
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — to crush
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. band — a music group
  15. rest — a break
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. rest — what's left
  19. kick — in football
  20. band — a ring
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bay — a horse colour

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