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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wax · bass · patient · deal · degree · fine

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. bass — the fish
  4. degree — an amount
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. deal — to handle
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. wax — to grow
  9. fine — high quality
  10. degree — from a university
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. degree — temperature
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. bass — low music
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fine — all right
  18. patient — a sick person

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