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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: bass · degree · deal · game · scale · board · lean · cabinet

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. lean — to bend
  3. board — to get on
  4. deal — to handle
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. degree — from a university
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. bass — low music
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. scale — size or range
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. game — wild animals
  14. game — a match
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. bass — the fish
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. lean — thin
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. board — a committee
  22. degree — an amount
  23. degree — temperature
  24. scale — in music

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