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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.

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: file · bass · rock · stick · degree · cue · coach · bulb

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. file — a tool
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. file — a document
  6. degree — temperature
  7. rock — a stone
  8. degree — from a university
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. rock — music
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bass — low music
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bulb — for light
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bulb — for light
  23. file — a line of people
  24. cue — for pool

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