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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 120 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: pass · ball · rock · degree · fine · trunk · land · bay

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. fine — high quality
  3. ball — a dance
  4. fine — all right
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. land — ground
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. degree — temperature
  13. degree — from a university
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. land — a country
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. ball — a great time
  21. degree — an amount
  22. land — to come down
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pass — a permit

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