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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
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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: march · charge · net · degree · fall · dip · swing · fork

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. charge — a price
  3. degree — temperature
  4. swing — in golf
  5. net — after costs
  6. net — for catching
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. degree — from a university
  9. charge — in control
  10. swing — to play on
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. march — the month
  14. fork — in a road
  15. march — the month
  16. charge — electricity
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. swing — music
  19. degree — an amount
  20. fall — the season
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. net — in sport
  23. fall — to drop
  24. march — music

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