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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.

Words on the sheet
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: fine · degree · fan · scale · pitcher · tear · arm · rock

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. scale — size or range
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fine — all right
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. tear — from crying
  12. degree — an amount
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. tear — to rip
  16. fine — high quality
  17. degree — from a university
  18. scale — in music
  19. tear — from crying
  20. degree — temperature
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — to move gently

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