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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — in music
  3. degree — temperature
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. degree — from a university
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. band — a music group
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. fine — high quality
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. band — a ring
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. perch — the fish
  20. fine — all right
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. degree — an amount

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