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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: chest · degree · vault · rock · bass · game · band · mug

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. degree — temperature
  3. degree — an amount
  4. rock — a stone
  5. chest — a box
  6. mug — to rob
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. band — a ring
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. vault — a safe
  12. bass — low music
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. degree — from a university
  15. rock — music
  16. game — a match
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. mug — a face
  19. game — wild animals
  20. band — a music group
  21. mug — a cup
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bass — the fish

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