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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mate · pound · degree · can · scale · key

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. 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. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. mate — a friend
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. degree — from a university
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mate — to breed
  10. key — the most important part
  11. scale — size or range
  12. degree — temperature
  13. scale — in music
  14. pound — a weight
  15. key — in music
  16. can — a tin
  17. key — for a lock
  18. 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