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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: degree · date · rash · charge · kick · scale · dip · band

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. charge — in control
  3. scale — in music
  4. degree — temperature
  5. rash — hasty
  6. charge — electricity
  7. kick — in football
  8. rash — a series
  9. degree — an amount
  10. dip — to sink
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. scale — size or range
  13. band — a ring
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. date — the fruit
  20. degree — from a university
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. charge — a price

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