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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.

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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: bass · spring · pitch · stick · cap · degree · ruler · fan

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — the season
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. degree — an amount
  7. cap — of ice
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. cap — a lid
  15. bass — low music
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. pitch — completely
  18. degree — temperature
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. bass — the fish
  21. degree — from a university
  22. spring — of water
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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