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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: racket · swing · leaves · present · dip · degree · scale · cold

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. swing — to play on
  4. scale — size or range
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. cold — not warm
  7. scale — in music
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. swing — music
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. degree — from a university
  13. cold — an illness
  14. present — the time now
  15. swing — in golf
  16. degree — an amount
  17. dip — to sink
  18. present — a gift
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. present — there
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — lets stay

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