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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. degree — from a university
  3. object — to protest
  4. object — a thing
  5. cell — in biology
  6. bass — low music
  7. bass — the fish
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. root — of a word
  10. root — the cause
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. root — of a plant
  13. pop — to visit
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. pop — soda
  16. degree — an amount
  17. staff — a stick
  18. staff — employees
  19. cell — a phone
  20. pop — music
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. object — an aim
  23. degree — temperature
  24. staff — employees

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