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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 120 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: bowl · bulb · cue · scale · nail · degree · current · shower

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. degree — from a university
  7. cue — for pool
  8. current — electric
  9. scale — size or range
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — a signal
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. shower — rain
  14. current — of water
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. degree — an amount
  17. current — happening now
  18. bulb — for light
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. shower — to wash
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. degree — temperature

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