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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: bulb · mouse · scale · lean · degree · tube · march · ruler

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. scale — size or range
  3. degree — an amount
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. march — the month
  6. lean — to bend
  7. march — the month
  8. scale — in music
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. tube — a container
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. bulb — for light
  19. march — music
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bulb — for light
  22. degree — temperature
  23. lean — thin
  24. tube — in a tire

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