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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 120 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.

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: bowl · fall · pop · branch · arm · mark · degree · bass

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  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. bass — low music
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. degree — from a university
  6. pop — soda
  7. degree — temperature
  8. mark — a grade
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. fall — the season
  11. fall — to drop
  12. degree — an amount
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. mark — a trace
  15. pop — to visit
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. pop — music
  22. branch — a division
  23. bass — the fish
  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