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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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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: wax · bowl · tube · pitcher · ruler · degree · bass · game

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. degree — temperature
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. bass — low music
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. degree — an amount
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. degree — from a university
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. tube — the underground
  14. wax — to grow
  15. game — a match
  16. tube — a container
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. game — wild animals
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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