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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 · foot · dip · swing · scale · lash · march · ball

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. dip — to sink
  3. swing — to play on
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. scale — size or range
  6. march — the month
  7. degree — temperature
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. degree — from a university
  10. foot — a measure
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. march — music
  13. ball — a dance
  14. degree — an amount
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. scale — in music
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a great time
  21. swing — in golf
  22. march — the month
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. swing — 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