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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: bay · scale · mug · fan · kick · pit · degree · deal

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. degree — temperature
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — size or range
  5. degree — an amount
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. pit — a hole
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. kick — in football
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — to handle
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. scale — in music
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. degree — from a university
  22. pit — in a race
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mug — a face

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