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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
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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: wind · scale · march · board · degree · chair · temple · press

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. press — to push
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — to get on
  5. degree — an amount
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. press — newspapers
  8. wind — moving air
  9. degree — from a university
  10. march — the month
  11. degree — temperature
  12. scale — in music
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. march — music
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. scale — size or range
  20. press — a publisher
  21. chair — a leader
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. march — the month

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