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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.

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: dip · bass · degree · fan · fine · chair · march · ball

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. degree — from a university
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. bass — low music
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bass — the fish
  9. chair — a leader
  10. ball — a great time
  11. dip — to sink
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. ball — a dance
  15. degree — an amount
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. fine — all right
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. march — the month
  24. fine — a penalty

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