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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.

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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: mouse · degree · bass · firm · hide · kid · band · cue

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. bass — low music
  3. cue — a hint
  4. firm — a company
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bass — the fish
  7. firm — decided
  8. degree — an amount
  9. degree — temperature
  10. degree — from a university
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. kid — child
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. cue — for pool
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. cue — a signal
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. band — a music group
  20. firm — steady
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. band — a ring
  23. kid — to tease
  24. mouse — the animal

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