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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: scale · degree · face · toast · trunk · current · ball · bowl

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. current — of water
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. degree — temperature
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. scale — in music
  14. ball — a great time
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — to confront
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. current — electric
  20. current — happening now
  21. degree — an amount
  22. scale — size or range
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. toast — bread

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