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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: degree · scale · cap · foot · squash · mark · rock · ball

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. rock — music
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. degree — from a university
  5. rock — a stone
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. ball — a dance
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a trace
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. squash — to crush
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. squash — the sport
  14. cap — a lid
  15. foot — a measure
  16. scale — size or range
  17. mark — a grade
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. degree — temperature
  20. ball — a great time
  21. scale — in music
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a hat
  24. foot — the bottom

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