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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.

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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: club · racket · bass · degree · perch · chip · present · cue

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. degree — an amount
  4. cue — a signal
  5. bass — low music
  6. club — for dancing
  7. cue — a hint
  8. present — the time now
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. club — a group
  12. present — there
  13. club — for golf
  14. perch — the fish
  15. degree — temperature
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — to eat
  19. degree — from a university
  20. present — a gift
  21. cue — for pool
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. perch — for a bird

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