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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: scale · drill · net · fall · ruler · degree · board · stand

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. board — a committee
  3. fall — the season
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. fall — to drop
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. degree — an amount
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. scale — in music
  10. net — in sport
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. drill — a practice
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. fall — to drop
  16. drill — army training
  17. scale — size or range
  18. net — for catching
  19. drill — the tool
  20. net — after costs
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. stand — to bear
  23. board — to get on
  24. degree — from a university

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