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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 · content · foot · straw · temple · degree · kick · shower

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. kick — in football
  6. shower — to wash
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. content — happy
  10. scale — size or range
  11. shower — rain
  12. degree — temperature
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. degree — from a university
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. degree — an amount
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. foot — a measure
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. scale — in music

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