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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: deal · ball · degree · bass · content · game · pitcher · mark

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. game — a match
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. content — happy
  7. content — the amount
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bass — low music
  10. deal — to handle
  11. degree — temperature
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bass — the fish
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. game — wild animals
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. ball — a dance
  19. degree — from a university
  20. mark — a grade
  21. degree — an amount
  22. ball — a great time
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. deal — a big deal

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