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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
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: shower · foot · bass · cap · date · saw · chip · degree

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. date — the fruit
  7. degree — an amount
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — of ice
  12. saw — the tool
  13. degree — temperature
  14. shower — to wash
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. degree — from a university
  17. saw — the tool
  18. foot — a measure
  19. cap — a lid
  20. chip — for betting
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. shower — rain
  23. bass — low music
  24. chip — to eat

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