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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. bass — the fish
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. degree — temperature
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. bass — low music
  13. branch — a division
  14. mark — a trace
  15. degree — an amount
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rock — a stone
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mark — a grade
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. degree — from a university
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. rock — to move gently

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