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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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: rule · degree · stand · press · scale · row

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. press — to push
  4. rule — government
  5. press — newspapers
  6. degree — an amount
  7. press — a publisher
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. degree — from a university
  10. row — to paddle
  11. scale — size or range
  12. scale — in music
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rule — a law
  15. stand — to bear
  16. degree — temperature
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. row — a line

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