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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
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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: scale · track · club · game · squash · stick · degree · cue

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. game — wild animals
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. track — a song
  5. track — to keep track
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. degree — temperature
  8. cue — a hint
  9. game — a match
  10. scale — size or range
  11. squash — to crush
  12. degree — an amount
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. scale — in music
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. track — a path
  17. club — a group
  18. club — for golf
  19. degree — from a university
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. club — for dancing
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. cue — a signal
  24. cue — for pool

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