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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 116 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 · shower · cue · degree · bay · stem · ball · fork

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. shower — to wash
  9. ball — a great time
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bass — the fish
  12. degree — temperature
  13. ball — a dance
  14. cue — for pool
  15. bass — low music
  16. degree — from a university
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. fork — in a road
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. degree — an amount
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. stem — to come from
  23. shower — rain
  24. cue — a signal

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