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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: fall · degree · deal · swing · arm · track · bass · calf

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  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. fall — to drop
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. track — a path
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. swing — to play on
  7. degree — an amount
  8. deal — to handle
  9. bass — the fish
  10. swing — music
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. bass — low music
  13. swing — in golf
  14. degree — temperature
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. track — to keep track
  18. degree — from a university
  19. fall — the season
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. fall — to drop
  23. track — a song
  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