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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.

Make a worksheet

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: capital · file · suit · degree · bass · root · pitcher · straw

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. bass — low music
  3. file — a document
  4. capital — money
  5. suit — to fit
  6. root — of a plant
  7. file — a line of people
  8. capital — a city
  9. degree — an amount
  10. degree — temperature
  11. suit — in cards
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. root — the cause
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bass — the fish
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. root — of a word
  18. suit — clothes
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. degree — from a university
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. bass — the instrument

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