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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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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: deal · perch · degree · bass · rash · swing · dip · fork

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. dip — to sink
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. degree — temperature
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. degree — from a university
  9. degree — an amount
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. bass — the fish
  12. rash — a series
  13. perch — the fish
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. fork — in a road
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. swing — to play on
  22. bass — low music
  23. swing — in golf
  24. deal — to handle

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