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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: field · stem · current · scale · degree · bound · snap · bass

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bound — obliged
  3. current — happening now
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. bound — tied together
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stem — to come from
  8. current — of water
  9. bass — the fish
  10. degree — an amount
  11. field — a subject
  12. current — electric
  13. scale — size or range
  14. field — farmland
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. degree — from a university
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. field — for sport
  19. bound — certain
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. bass — low music
  22. degree — temperature
  23. scale — in music
  24. snap — to click

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