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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: can · stand · scale · roll · file · cap · prune · degree

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. can — a tin
  3. scale — in music
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. scale — size or range
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. cap — of ice
  11. roll — a cake
  12. cap — a hat
  13. roll — a list
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. file — a document
  16. can — a tin
  17. stand — to bear
  18. degree — temperature
  19. degree — an amount
  20. can — to be able to
  21. file — a line of people
  22. file — a tool
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. cap — a lid

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