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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: racket · rule · bass · chair · game · spell · dip · degree

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bass — the fish
  4. dip — to sink
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. rule — government
  7. degree — temperature
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. spell — magic
  10. bass — low music
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. rule — a law
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. degree — an amount
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. spell — letters
  19. game — a match
  20. spell — a short time
  21. chair — a leader
  22. game — wild animals
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. degree — from a university

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