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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: degree · pound · racket · mug · bass · swing · stick · stock

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. mug — a face
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bass — the fish
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. degree — temperature
  14. mug — a cup
  15. stock — shares
  16. bass — low music
  17. stock — goods
  18. mug — to rob
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. degree — an amount
  23. swing — in golf
  24. swing — 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