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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 120 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: pop · scale · plane · degree · stick · rule · fine · coach

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. degree — temperature
  4. fine — all right
  5. degree — from a university
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pop — music
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. pop — soda
  10. scale — in music
  11. scale — size or range
  12. degree — an amount
  13. rule — a law
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. fine — high quality
  21. pop — to visit
  22. rule — government
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. scale — for weighing

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