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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: scale · arm · can · degree · pitcher · cabinet · rash · cold

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. degree — an amount
  3. can — a tin
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. degree — temperature
  7. rash — hasty
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. can — a tin
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. scale — in music
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. scale — size or range
  17. cold — an illness
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cold — not warm
  20. can — to be able to
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. degree — from a university
  24. rash — on the skin

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