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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: bat · roll · bass · degree · ruler · wave · pitch · prune

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. roll — a cake
  4. bass — the fish
  5. degree — from a university
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. prune — to trim
  9. roll — a list
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. bat — the animal
  12. prune — to trim
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. pitch — completely
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. degree — temperature
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. degree — an amount
  24. bass — low music

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