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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: deal · face · bowl · degree · scale · cabinet · key · date

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. key — the most important part
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. deal — to handle
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. degree — temperature
  13. key — for a lock
  14. face — to point toward
  15. key — in music
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. scale — size or range
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. scale — in music
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. degree — an amount
  22. date — the fruit
  23. face — part of the head
  24. face — to confront

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