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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.

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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 · jam · dip · ground · file · net · kick · season

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. file — a document
  4. degree — an amount
  5. dip — to sink
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. kick — in football
  8. ground — crushed
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. season — in sport
  11. net — for catching
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. file — a tool
  14. ground — the earth
  15. degree — from a university
  16. season — of the year
  17. file — a line of people
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. net — after costs
  21. degree — temperature
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. ground — a position

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