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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: bay · current · track · ball · perch · lash · degree · bass

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. current — electric
  3. bass — the fish
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. degree — an amount
  6. ball — a dance
  7. track — a song
  8. track — a path
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bass — low music
  11. perch — the fish
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. current — of water
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. ball — a great time
  18. current — happening now
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. degree — temperature

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