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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 116 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: deal · degree · content · scale · bowl · tear · sharp · pass

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. deal — to handle
  3. tear — to rip
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — happy
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. scale — in music
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. sharp — clever
  10. scale — size or range
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. degree — temperature
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. tear — from crying
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. degree — from a university
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — a permit
  24. degree — an amount

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