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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: bass · degree · mouse · bowl · cell · game · press · season

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. degree — an amount
  5. bass — low music
  6. press — a publisher
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. press — newspapers
  10. press — to push
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. degree — from a university
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. season — of the year
  16. game — a match
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. cell — a phone
  19. season — in sport
  20. bass — the fish
  21. game — wild animals
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. degree — temperature

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