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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: ball · pass · deal · wave · stock · degree · stem · bass

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. degree — temperature
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. pass — a permit
  10. degree — an amount
  11. stock — shares
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. stock — goods
  14. ball — a great time
  15. deal — to handle
  16. degree — from a university
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bass — the fish
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. bass — low music
  24. stem — of a plant

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