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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: kick · bank · cue · scale · degree · wound · racket · season

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. bank — for money
  3. cue — for pool
  4. scale — size or range
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. degree — temperature
  7. bank — of a river
  8. cue — a signal
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bank — for money
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. wound — an injury
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. wound — an injury
  15. season — of the year
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. scale — in music
  18. degree — an amount
  19. degree — from a university
  20. season — in sport
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. cue — a hint
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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