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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: straw · deal · scale · pitcher · degree · field · suit · firm

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. deal — to handle
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. field — for sport
  6. degree — an amount
  7. suit — to fit
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. firm — a company
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. scale — size or range
  13. firm — steady
  14. field — a subject
  15. degree — from a university
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. field — farmland
  18. scale — in music
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. suit — in cards
  21. firm — decided
  22. degree — temperature
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. suit — clothes

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