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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
468
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: mouse · lie · press · rest · bank · field · scale · degree

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. degree — temperature
  3. field — a subject
  4. field — for sport
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bank — for money
  7. degree — an amount
  8. rest — what's left
  9. field — farmland
  10. press — a publisher
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. scale — size or range
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. press — newspapers
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. degree — from a university
  18. scale — in music
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — a break
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bank — for money
  24. press — to push

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