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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 120 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: suit · file · tube · sharp · trunk · squash · bass · degree

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. squash — to crush
  3. degree — an amount
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. file — a line of people
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. suit — to fit
  8. suit — clothes
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. file — a tool
  11. suit — in cards
  12. file — a document
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. squash — the sport
  15. bass — the fish
  16. degree — from a university
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. bass — low music
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. tube — a container
  22. degree — temperature
  23. tube — the underground
  24. sharp — clever

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