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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: stand · kick · cue · deal · degree · scale

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. degree — an amount
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. deal — to handle
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. cue — a hint
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. kick — in football
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. scale — size or range
  12. cue — for pool
  13. scale — in music
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. degree — temperature
  16. cue — a signal
  17. degree — from a university
  18. stand — to bear

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