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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: mark · rule · degree · perch · press · bound · bulb · pitcher

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. bound — certain
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bound — tied together
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. degree — temperature
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mark — a trace
  12. press — a publisher
  13. rule — government
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. perch — the fish
  16. degree — an amount
  17. press — to push
  18. press — newspapers
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. rule — a law
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. mark — a grade
  24. pitcher — a jug

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