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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
468
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 · rock · degree · lie · ruler · pop · mate · press

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. press — a publisher
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. pop — to visit
  6. degree — an amount
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. lie — to recline
  9. press — newspapers
  10. degree — temperature
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. rock — music
  14. mate — to breed
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. mate — a friend
  17. degree — from a university
  18. pop — soda
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. press — to push
  21. pop — music
  22. mate — a partner
  23. scale — size or range
  24. scale — in music

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