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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.

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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 · bass · charge · can · net · scale · fork · last

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. degree — an amount
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. net — after costs
  5. fork — in a road
  6. degree — temperature
  7. last — finally
  8. last — to go on
  9. charge — in control
  10. bass — the fish
  11. can — a tin
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. charge — a price
  14. charge — electricity
  15. bass — low music
  16. scale — size or range
  17. can — to be able to
  18. last — final
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. scale — in music
  21. can — a tin
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. net — for catching
  24. net — in sport

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