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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 · rush · bowl · chip · bore · scale · hand · pass

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. degree — from a university
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. hand — in cards
  7. scale — size or range
  8. degree — temperature
  9. degree — an amount
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — hurry
  15. chip — for betting
  16. scale — in music
  17. bore — to drill
  18. pass — a permit
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bore — to tire
  24. pass — to succeed

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