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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · spell · patient · chair · wake · bass · mouse · club

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. chair — a leader
  3. degree — from a university
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. spell — magic
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. club — for dancing
  8. bass — low music
  9. degree — temperature
  10. wake — a trail
  11. degree — an amount
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. club — a group
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. spell — letters
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. club — for golf
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. spell — a short time
  24. chair — a professorship

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