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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mine · firm · lash · degree · bat · track · pit · bass

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. firm — a company
  3. track — a path
  4. track — a song
  5. firm — decided
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. pit — in a race
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. degree — an amount
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bat — the animal
  14. firm — steady
  15. mine — for digging
  16. track — to keep track
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. degree — temperature
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. degree — from a university
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bass — low music
  24. lash — to lash out

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