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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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468
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: degree · cabinet · scale · stock · roll · temple · lean · kid

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. roll — a list
  3. degree — temperature
  4. stock — goods
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. kid — to tease
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. stock — shares
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. degree — from a university
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. lean — to bend
  18. degree — an amount
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. scale — size or range
  21. kid — child
  22. lean — thin
  23. roll — a cake
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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