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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: chair · jam · stick · file · season · bass · degree · cue

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. degree — an amount
  5. season — in sport
  6. file — a document
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cue — a hint
  11. bass — the fish
  12. degree — temperature
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chair — a leader
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. file — a line of people
  18. cue — for pool
  19. bass — low music
  20. season — of the year
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. degree — from a university
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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