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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: degree · lie · bass · racket · scale · wake · plane · roll

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. scale — in music
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. scale — size or range
  10. bass — the fish
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. roll — a list
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. plane — a tool
  17. degree — an amount
  18. degree — from a university
  19. wake — a trail
  20. degree — temperature
  21. roll — a cake
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. bass — low 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