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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: stick · degree · fine · pass · bass · tear · ball · hand

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. tear — to rip
  3. tear — from crying
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — high quality
  11. degree — temperature
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. ball — a great time
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. tear — from crying
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. bass — low music
  20. pass — a permit
  21. degree — from a university
  22. hand — in cards
  23. ball — a dance
  24. degree — an amount

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