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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: degree · pitch · fork · stock · track · cue · key · bass

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. key — in music
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — the fish
  5. degree — from a university
  6. stock — goods
  7. track — a path
  8. pitch — completely
  9. fork — in a road
  10. cue — a signal
  11. degree — an amount
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. cue — for pool
  14. degree — temperature
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. cue — a hint
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. bass — low music
  20. stock — shares
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — for a lock
  23. track — a song
  24. track — to keep track

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