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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 · can · tear · club · ball · current · stock

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. current — electric
  3. can — to be able to
  4. degree — temperature
  5. tear — from crying
  6. degree — an amount
  7. tear — from crying
  8. scale — in music
  9. tear — to rip
  10. current — of water
  11. scale — size or range
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. can — a tin
  15. stock — shares
  16. can — a tin
  17. ball — a great time
  18. stock — goods
  19. club — for golf
  20. club — for dancing
  21. ball — a dance
  22. current — happening now
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. club — a group

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