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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: capital · degree · stick · pound · fork · scale

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. fork — in a road
  4. degree — temperature
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. scale — in music
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. degree — from a university
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. capital — money
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. capital — a city
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. degree — an amount
  18. scale — size or range

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