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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: degree · temple · rule · bulb · bass · scale · pound · file

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. rule — a law
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bass — low music
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. scale — in music
  11. degree — from a university
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. file — a document
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. file — a line of people
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pound — a weight
  20. scale — size or range
  21. file — a tool
  22. rule — government
  23. degree — an amount
  24. bulb — of a plant

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