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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: swing · bass · drill · wave · cap · board · squash · degree

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bass — the fish
  5. drill — the tool
  6. board — a committee
  7. cap — a hat
  8. swing — in golf
  9. squash — to crush
  10. degree — from a university
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. swing — to play on
  13. cap — a lid
  14. drill — a practice
  15. cap — of ice
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. bass — low music
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. swing — music
  20. degree — temperature
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. drill — army training
  23. squash — the sport
  24. board — to get on

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