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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: wave · patient · bass · suit · pop · branch · date · degree

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. degree — temperature
  3. date — the fruit
  4. suit — clothes
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. suit — in cards
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. pop — to visit
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. degree — an amount
  15. bass — low music
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. degree — from a university
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. pop — music
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — a division
  23. pop — soda
  24. suit — to fit

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