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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: bowl · degree · content · mug · wave · stick · bass · object

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. content — the amount
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. object — an aim
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. degree — from a university
  7. bass — low music
  8. content — happy
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — the fish
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. mug — a face
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. degree — temperature
  20. mug — a cup
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. degree — an amount
  23. mug — to rob
  24. object — to protest

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