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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: scale · straw · chip · hide · racket · degree · cap · bowl

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — for betting
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. degree — temperature
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. cap — a lid
  13. scale — in music
  14. degree — from a university
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. degree — an amount
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — of ice

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