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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: pitcher · present · bass · capital · root · wave · pit · degree

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. pit — in a race
  3. degree — temperature
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. root — of a plant
  7. present — a gift
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. capital — a city
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. root — the cause
  12. pit — a hole
  13. present — there
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bass — the fish
  16. degree — from a university
  17. degree — an amount
  18. capital — money
  19. present — the time now
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. root — of a word

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