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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: firm · wound · pitcher · scale · nail · march · degree · mug

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. degree — temperature
  3. mug — a cup
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. march — the month
  6. wound — an injury
  7. scale — size or range
  8. march — music
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. mug — to rob
  12. march — the month
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. firm — steady
  15. firm — decided
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. degree — from a university
  18. scale — in music
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. wound — an injury
  21. mug — a face
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. firm — a company

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