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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.

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: degree · scale · bark · present · press · cue

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. cue — a hint
  3. degree — from a university
  4. bark — to shout
  5. present — there
  6. present — the time now
  7. scale — in music
  8. press — newspapers
  9. degree — an amount
  10. press — to push
  11. press — a publisher
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. scale — size or range
  14. present — a gift
  15. cue — a signal
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. cue — for pool
  18. scale — for weighing

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