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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: bat · degree · staff · pass · scale · wax · pop · date

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. scale — in music
  4. date — the fruit
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. degree — an amount
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. wax — to grow
  9. pop — soda
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. staff — employees
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. pop — to visit
  16. staff — employees
  17. bat — the animal
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. degree — from a university
  20. staff — a stick
  21. pop — music
  22. scale — size or range
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. date — on the calendar

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