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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
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: degree · pound · tube · bass · spell · deal · scale · vault

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. tube — a container
  7. degree — from a university
  8. scale — in music
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. scale — size or range
  12. spell — magic
  13. spell — letters
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. degree — temperature
  16. spell — a short time
  17. degree — an amount
  18. tube — the underground
  19. pound — a weight
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — the fish
  23. vault — a safe
  24. deal — to handle

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