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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 120 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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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: pound · ruler · press · vault · degree · scale · calf · kid

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. press — a publisher
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. scale — size or range
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. kid — child
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. press — to push
  15. kid — to tease
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. degree — an amount
  18. vault — a safe
  19. press — newspapers
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. scale — in music
  22. degree — from a university
  23. degree — temperature
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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