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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: calf · bass · prune · wave · press · stick · degree · cabinet

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. prune — to trim
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bass — low music
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. degree — from a university
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. press — newspapers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. degree — temperature
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. degree — an amount
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. press — a publisher
  24. press — to push

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