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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 · rash · fork · bass · fine · lie · net · game

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. net — for catching
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fork — in a road
  6. bass — low music
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. degree — temperature
  10. rash — a series
  11. fine — all right
  12. lie — to recline
  13. degree — an amount
  14. net — after costs
  15. bass — the fish
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. degree — from a university
  18. net — in sport
  19. game — wild animals
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. game — a match
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. rash — hasty

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