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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 · date · object · cap · last · rash · degree · roll

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — the fruit
  3. object — a thing
  4. roll — a list
  5. scale — in music
  6. degree — from a university
  7. last — to go on
  8. roll — a cake
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. last — finally
  11. cap — of ice
  12. object — an aim
  13. last — final
  14. object — to protest
  15. rash — a series
  16. cap — a hat
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. degree — an amount
  19. scale — size or range
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. cap — a lid
  22. degree — temperature
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. rash — hasty

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