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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: pitcher · degree · arm · lean · ball · game · bass · scale

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. degree — an amount
  3. degree — temperature
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. scale — size or range
  10. scale — in music
  11. lean — to bend
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — wild animals
  14. degree — from a university
  15. bass — low music
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. lean — thin
  18. ball — a great time
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. bass — the fish
  24. pitcher — a jug

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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