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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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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: bass · key · leaves · stick · pound · present · fine · degree

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. key — for a lock
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. degree — temperature
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. present — the time now
  8. bass — low music
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. fine — all right
  12. degree — from a university
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. present — there
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pound — a weight
  18. present — a gift
  19. key — the most important part
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bass — the fish
  22. key — in music
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. fine — high quality

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