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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: degree · foot · can · cap · wake · club · scale · current

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — in music
  3. club — for golf
  4. cap — a lid
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. foot — a measure
  7. current — happening now
  8. can — a tin
  9. current — electric
  10. cap — a hat
  11. degree — from a university
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. current — of water
  14. can — a tin
  15. club — for dancing
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. wake — a trail
  19. degree — an amount
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. club — a group
  22. cap — of ice
  23. degree — temperature
  24. can — to be able to

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