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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: sharp · rock · foot · bass · bowl · season · degree · net

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. net — for catching
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. degree — temperature
  6. net — in sport
  7. season — of the year
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. net — after costs
  11. degree — from a university
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. rock — a stone
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. foot — a measure
  20. bass — the fish
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. sharp — clever
  23. season — in sport
  24. degree — an amount

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