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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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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: press · current · rest · pound · scale · degree · ruler · lean

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. degree — temperature
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. current — electric
  7. scale — in music
  8. press — newspapers
  9. press — to push
  10. current — happening now
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. rest — what's left
  13. press — a publisher
  14. degree — an amount
  15. lean — thin
  16. rest — a break
  17. current — of water
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. lean — to bend
  22. scale — size or range
  23. degree — from a university
  24. pound — a weight

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