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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: bass · mine · pitch · cue · degree · chip · perch · root

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. cue — for pool
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. root — the cause
  7. chip — for betting
  8. degree — an amount
  9. degree — temperature
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. cue — a signal
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. degree — from a university
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. bass — low music
  19. perch — the fish
  20. root — of a word
  21. chip — to eat
  22. root — of a plant
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. cue — a hint

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