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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 116 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: file · press · rule · cabinet · stand · plane · pound · degree

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. plane — a tool
  3. degree — an amount
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. file — a document
  7. file — a line of people
  8. file — a tool
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. degree — from a university
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. rule — a law
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — to push
  19. degree — temperature
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pound — a weight
  22. stand — to bear
  23. press — a publisher
  24. rule — government

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