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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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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. object — an aim
  5. degree — temperature
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a line of people
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. rock — music
  11. object — to protest
  12. bass — low music
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. file — a document
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. rock — a stone
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. object — a thing
  23. degree — from a university
  24. bass — the fish

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