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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: swing · scale · bank · racket · march · degree

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. march — music
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. march — the month
  5. bank — for money
  6. degree — temperature
  7. swing — to play on
  8. bank — for money
  9. scale — in music
  10. degree — from a university
  11. degree — an amount
  12. scale — size or range
  13. bank — of a river
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. swing — in golf
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. march — the month

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