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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 · bowl · degree · pop · press · bank · staff · lash

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. degree — temperature
  3. degree — from a university
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. press — newspapers
  6. staff — employees
  7. scale — in music
  8. pop — soda
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bank — of a river
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bank — for money
  13. pop — to visit
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. degree — an amount
  16. pop — music
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. staff — a stick
  19. staff — employees
  20. press — a publisher
  21. scale — size or range
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. bank — for money

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