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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: net · degree · racket · file · dip · ball · season · scale

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. season — in sport
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to sink
  6. file — a document
  7. net — for catching
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. ball — a dance
  10. season — of the year
  11. degree — from a university
  12. ball — a great time
  13. scale — in music
  14. degree — temperature
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. degree — an amount
  20. net — in sport
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. net — after costs
  23. file — a line of people
  24. scale — size or range

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