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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: ground · net · key · patient · bass · bay · hide · degree

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. net — after costs
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. net — in sport
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. degree — temperature
  8. ground — crushed
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bass — low music
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. key — for a lock
  15. degree — an amount
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. net — for catching
  19. ground — a position
  20. degree — from a university
  21. key — the most important part
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. hide — to keep secret

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