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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: clip · foot · scale · cell · degree · dip · bass · ground

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. ground — the earth
  3. degree — from a university
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. cell — a phone
  6. scale — in music
  7. foot — a measure
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. degree — an amount
  10. dip — to sink
  11. degree — temperature
  12. clip — to cut
  13. clip — a video
  14. ground — crushed
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. clip — for paper
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. ground — a position
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. scale — size or range
  24. dip — a sauce

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