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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: suit · degree · bass · pitcher · bat · deal · cabinet · fan

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. degree — from a university
  4. suit — to fit
  5. bat — the animal
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. suit — clothes
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. suit — in cards
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. degree — temperature
  22. degree — an amount
  23. deal — to handle
  24. bass — low 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