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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.

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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 · arm · can · pop · swing · plane · pitch · degree

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. swing — in golf
  3. scale — in music
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pop — to visit
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. degree — from a university
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. swing — to play on
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. pop — soda
  14. scale — size or range
  15. degree — an amount
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. degree — temperature
  18. swing — music
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pop — music
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. plane — a tool
  24. plane — an aircraft

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