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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.

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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: ball · race · degree · firm · capital · bowl · pass · bass

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. firm — a company
  3. degree — from a university
  4. firm — decided
  5. ball — a dance
  6. degree — an amount
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. race — humankind
  9. degree — temperature
  10. firm — steady
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. ball — a great time
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. pass — a permit
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. race — a contest
  17. bass — low music
  18. race — the arms race
  19. bass — the fish
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. capital — a city
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. capital — money
  24. pass — to succeed

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