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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 116 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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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: rest · degree · current · bass · track · racket · pitch · root

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. degree — an amount
  3. rest — what's left
  4. current — of water
  5. root — of a plant
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. rest — a break
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. track — a path
  12. track — to keep track
  13. root — the cause
  14. degree — temperature
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rest — what's left
  17. current — happening now
  18. degree — from a university
  19. current — electric
  20. bass — the fish
  21. track — a song
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. root — of a word
  24. bass — low music

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