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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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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: race · lash · temple · chip · scale · foot · degree · pitch

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. foot — a measure
  3. degree — temperature
  4. scale — size or range
  5. race — a contest
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. race — the arms race
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. race — humankind
  13. degree — from a university
  14. pitch — completely
  15. scale — in music
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chip — to eat
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. degree — an amount

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