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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: mouse · scale · face · tube · degree · cabinet · pound · kick

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. degree — from a university
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. pound — a weight
  6. face — part of the head
  7. tube — the underground
  8. degree — an amount
  9. face — to confront
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. scale — size or range
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. face — to point toward
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. degree — temperature
  23. scale — in music
  24. cabinet — ministers

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