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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. degree — temperature
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. object — to protest
  5. degree — an amount
  6. row — a line
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bass — low music
  9. object — an aim
  10. row — to paddle
  11. degree — from a university
  12. mark — a grade
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. bass — the fish
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cap — a lid
  18. object — a thing
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. cap — of ice
  22. mark — a trace
  23. cap — a hat
  24. craft — boats

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