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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.

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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: scale · bass · trunk · rock · pop · shower · degree · mouse

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. degree — temperature
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. rock — music
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bass — low music
  10. pop — music
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. pop — to visit
  13. rock — a stone
  14. shower — to wash
  15. degree — from a university
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. scale — in music
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. bass — the fish
  21. pop — soda
  22. degree — an amount
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. scale — size or range

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