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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 · chair · rock · bark · pitcher · jam · pound · press

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. press — to push
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. rock — music
  8. chair — a leader
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bark — to shout
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. press — newspapers
  17. degree — from a university
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. degree — an amount
  20. rock — a stone
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. press — a publisher
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. rock — to move gently

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