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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: degree · rock · press · staff · wound · pitch · squash · bass

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  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. pitch — completely
  3. squash — the sport
  4. press — newspapers
  5. squash — to crush
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. staff — employees
  8. bass — low music
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. degree — an amount
  12. staff — employees
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — a stone
  18. press — to push
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — the fish
  21. staff — a stick
  22. wound — an injury
  23. press — a publisher
  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