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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: pitcher · degree · pop · nail · rush · bass · wave · bay

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. bass — low music
  3. pop — music
  4. pop — to visit
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. degree — temperature
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bass — the fish
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. pop — soda
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. degree — an amount
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. degree — from a university

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