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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
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 · board · mouse · pit · bay · rash · bass · court

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. degree — from a university
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. degree — an amount
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — hasty
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. bass — the fish
  10. court — of law
  11. board — a committee
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. degree — temperature
  14. bass — low music
  15. court — of a king
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. board — to get on
  20. pit — a hole
  21. rash — a series
  22. court — for sport
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. pit — in a race

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