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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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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 · calf · degree · pound · pitcher · fan · band · mug

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. band — a music group
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. scale — in music
  7. mug — to rob
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. degree — temperature
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. degree — from a university
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. degree — an amount
  15. mug — a cup
  16. pound — a weight
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. mug — a face
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. scale — size or range
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. calf — a young animal

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