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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: land · dip · bank · bay · bat · cue · degree · bass

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. cue — for pool
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. land — ground
  7. degree — temperature
  8. cue — a signal
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. land — to come down
  12. bank — for money
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. degree — from a university
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. dip — to sink
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. degree — an amount
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. cue — a hint
  22. land — a country
  23. bank — for money
  24. bass — low music

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