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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.

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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 · pass · deal · fall · swing · racket · mug

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. scale — size or range
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. swing — to play on
  6. pass — a permit
  7. swing — music
  8. mug — a face
  9. scale — in music
  10. fall — the season
  11. degree — temperature
  12. degree — from a university
  13. swing — in golf
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. degree — an amount
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. fall — to drop
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. fall — to drop
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. mug — to rob

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