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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: cap · bass · firm · degree · ground · mug · file · roll

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  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. cap — a lid
  2. cap — of ice
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a tool
  5. mug — a face
  6. bass — the fish
  7. ground — a position
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. roll — a cake
  11. degree — temperature
  12. firm — a company
  13. mug — to rob
  14. firm — steady
  15. firm — decided
  16. degree — from a university
  17. degree — an amount
  18. ground — the earth
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. file — a line of people
  21. cap — a hat
  22. roll — a list
  23. mug — a cup
  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