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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: chip · bass · root · degree · lash · foot · ball · season

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. season — in sport
  4. chip — for betting
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. foot — a measure
  8. chip — to eat
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. degree — temperature
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. root — of a plant
  14. root — the cause
  15. season — of the year
  16. bass — the fish
  17. ball — a great time
  18. bass — low music
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. root — of a word
  21. degree — from a university
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. degree — an amount
  24. ball — a dance

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