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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.

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: scale · degree · wake · cap · spell · ruler · calf · dip

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. cap — of ice
  3. degree — temperature
  4. degree — from a university
  5. degree — an amount
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. scale — size or range
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — to sink
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. wake — a trail
  14. spell — letters
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. scale — in music
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. cap — a lid
  20. spell — a short time
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. cap — a hat
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. ruler — for measuring

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