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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
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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 · deal · roll · tube · swing · arm · degree · spring

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. spring — of water
  3. swing — music
  4. scale — in music
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. swing — in golf
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. swing — to play on
  10. deal — to handle
  11. degree — from a university
  12. degree — an amount
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. spring — the season
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. tube — a container
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. scale — size or range
  19. roll — a list
  20. tube — the underground
  21. spring — a coil
  22. degree — temperature
  23. roll — a cake
  24. arm — a part of something

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