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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.

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: game · scale · swing · degree · current · ruler · pass · capital

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. game — a match
  4. scale — size or range
  5. capital — money
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. swing — music
  8. game — wild animals
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. degree — an amount
  12. swing — in golf
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. pass — a permit
  16. swing — to play on
  17. degree — from a university
  18. scale — in music
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. current — electric
  21. capital — a city
  22. current — of water
  23. current — happening now
  24. degree — temperature

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