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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: last · ball · degree · bass · racket · stick · jam · bear

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. degree — an amount
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — low music
  5. last — final
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. last — finally
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bear — the animal
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. ball — a great time
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. last — to go on
  21. degree — from a university
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. degree — temperature
  24. ball — a dance

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