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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.

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: bear · date · fine · can · degree · bowl · scale · mine

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. date — the fruit
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — in music
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. can — a tin
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bear — the animal
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. fine — all right
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. degree — an amount
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. mine — for digging
  21. scale — size or range
  22. bear — the animal
  23. degree — from a university
  24. fine — high quality

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