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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 116 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
468
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: club · firm · bowl · degree · deal · racket · scale · sharp

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. degree — from a university
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. scale — in music
  5. club — a group
  6. deal — to handle
  7. club — for golf
  8. firm — steady
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. firm — a company
  14. degree — an amount
  15. club — for dancing
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. scale — size or range
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. firm — decided
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. degree — temperature
  24. racket — a loud noise

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