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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: tube · scale · deal · racket · degree · hand · file · cue

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. file — a tool
  3. scale — in music
  4. degree — temperature
  5. file — a document
  6. cue — a signal
  7. degree — from a university
  8. scale — size or range
  9. degree — an amount
  10. deal — to handle
  11. tube — a container
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. tube — the underground
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — help
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. cue — for pool
  19. file — a line of people
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. deal — a big deal

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