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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
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: degree · stock · scale · suit · mark · wind · swing · face

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. swing — music
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — to point toward
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. suit — clothes
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — goods
  9. suit — in cards
  10. wind — moving air
  11. suit — to fit
  12. degree — temperature
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. swing — to play on
  16. degree — an amount
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mark — a grade
  19. scale — in music
  20. degree — from a university
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. wind — moving air
  23. face — part of the head
  24. swing — in golf

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