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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
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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: degree · calf · bass · can · key · lean · chair · field

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  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. bass — low music
  2. can — a tin
  3. bass — the fish
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. degree — an amount
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. field — for sport
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. lean — thin
  10. key — in music
  11. field — a subject
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. key — for a lock
  14. degree — temperature
  15. can — a tin
  16. key — the most important part
  17. field — farmland
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. can — to be able to
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. degree — from a university
  22. chair — a leader
  23. lean — to bend
  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