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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: deal · capital · kick · degree · mouse · bound · trunk · bass

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. degree — temperature
  3. kick — in football
  4. capital — money
  5. degree — from a university
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. bass — low music
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. bound — certain
  11. bound — tied together
  12. degree — an amount
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. bass — the fish
  19. deal — to handle
  20. bound — obliged
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. capital — a city
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. capital — a big letter

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