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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.

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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: bass · file · rock · kid · degree · cue · pound · pitcher

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. bass — low music
  4. file — a document
  5. file — a line of people
  6. degree — an amount
  7. file — a tool
  8. cue — for pool
  9. bass — the fish
  10. degree — temperature
  11. rock — music
  12. pound — a weight
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. cue — a signal
  15. degree — from a university
  16. rock — a stone
  17. cue — a hint
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. kid — to tease
  21. kid — child
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. pitcher — a jug

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