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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: rock · roll · bulb · swing · stick · degree · scale · firm

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. bulb — for light
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. rock — music
  5. roll — a list
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. firm — steady
  8. scale — in music
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. roll — a cake
  11. swing — in golf
  12. degree — temperature
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. firm — decided
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. rock — a stone
  17. swing — to play on
  18. bulb — for light
  19. scale — size or range
  20. swing — music
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. degree — from a university
  23. firm — a company
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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