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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: suit · scale · degree · saw · roll · straw · pitch · bank

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. suit — clothes
  3. bank — for money
  4. suit — to fit
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. degree — an amount
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bank — for money
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. roll — a list
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. degree — temperature
  13. roll — a cake
  14. scale — size or range
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. pitch — completely
  17. bank — of a river
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. degree — from a university
  20. saw — the tool
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. suit — in cards

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