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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: degree · pitcher · pop · mug · stand · plane · scale · kid

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. mug — a cup
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. scale — size or range
  9. mug — a face
  10. pop — music
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. degree — from a university
  13. pop — soda
  14. mug — to rob
  15. plane — a tool
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. stand — to bear
  19. degree — temperature
  20. scale — in music
  21. degree — an amount
  22. kid — to tease
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. kid — child

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