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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: ball · rush · pass · rock · bear · degree · band · mate

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — a permit
  4. rock — music
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. degree — an amount
  7. mate — a friend
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. mate — a partner
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. rush — hurry
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. degree — from a university
  14. degree — temperature
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. mate — to breed
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. band — a music group
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. ball — a great time
  22. band — a ring
  23. ball — a dance
  24. rock — a stone

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