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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. rock — a stone
  6. present — there
  7. field — for sport
  8. degree — temperature
  9. perch — the fish
  10. present — a gift
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. field — farmland
  14. degree — an amount
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. present — the time now
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. field — a subject
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bass — low music
  23. rock — music
  24. perch — for a bird

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