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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 116 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: track · suit · bank · bowl · scale · pitcher · clip · degree

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. scale — size or range
  3. degree — temperature
  4. clip — for paper
  5. track — a song
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. degree — from a university
  9. scale — in music
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. clip — to cut
  12. degree — an amount
  13. suit — clothes
  14. track — to keep track
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bank — of a river
  18. suit — in cards
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bank — for money
  21. clip — a video
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. suit — to fit
  24. bank — for money

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