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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 · swing · cabinet · can · land · race · stand · degree

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. race — a contest
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. race — humankind
  9. degree — an amount
  10. land — to come down
  11. land — a country
  12. degree — temperature
  13. can — to be able to
  14. scale — in music
  15. swing — music
  16. land — ground
  17. degree — from a university
  18. swing — in golf
  19. scale — size or range
  20. can — a tin
  21. race — the arms race
  22. can — a tin
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. swing — to play on

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