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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: march · ground · roll · bass · degree · craft · bay · kick

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. degree — an amount
  4. degree — temperature
  5. roll — a list
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. ground — the earth
  8. craft — a skill
  9. march — music
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. march — the month
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. ground — crushed
  15. kick — in football
  16. degree — from a university
  17. ground — a position
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. craft — boats
  21. bass — the fish
  22. roll — a cake
  23. march — the month
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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