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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: scale · pitch · fine · press · tube · ball · root · degree

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. degree — from a university
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. root — of a plant
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a dance
  9. degree — an amount
  10. press — a publisher
  11. scale — in music
  12. fine — high quality
  13. root — the cause
  14. degree — temperature
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. root — of a word
  17. fine — all right
  18. tube — a container
  19. pitch — completely
  20. scale — size or range
  21. press — to push
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. press — newspapers
  24. tube — the underground

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