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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: scale · roll · row · fine · kick · race · degree · board

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. scale — in music
  6. roll — a list
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. fine — all right
  9. kick — in football
  10. row — a line
  11. board — to get on
  12. degree — from a university
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. race — humankind
  15. race — the arms race
  16. scale — size or range
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. roll — a cake
  20. race — a contest
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. degree — temperature
  23. degree — an amount
  24. board — a committee

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