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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.

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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: ruler · pop · trunk · chair · suit · bass · degree · bay

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. suit — to fit
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. degree — temperature
  6. degree — from a university
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bass — the fish
  9. pop — music
  10. pop — to visit
  11. suit — in cards
  12. suit — clothes
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. chair — a leader
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. degree — an amount
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. bass — low music
  23. pop — soda
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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