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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.

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: kick · bass · suit · hand · bay · track · degree · pitch

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  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. bass — the instrument
  2. pitch — completely
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. suit — clothes
  5. degree — an amount
  6. suit — to fit
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. track — a path
  9. track — a song
  10. bass — low music
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. hand — in cards
  13. suit — in cards
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. track — to keep track
  20. hand — help
  21. degree — temperature
  22. kick — in football
  23. bass — the fish
  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