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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.

Make a worksheet

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: game · pop · perch · file · degree · arm · bass · mate

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. file — a tool
  3. degree — temperature
  4. perch — the fish
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pop — soda
  7. bass — the fish
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a partner
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. file — a document
  16. file — a line of people
  17. degree — from a university
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. game — a match
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. degree — an amount
  22. game — wild animals
  23. bass — low music
  24. mate — a friend

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