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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: press · scale · court · degree · ball · rest · stick · bound

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  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. bound — tied together
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bound — obliged
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. degree — from a university
  8. ball — a dance
  9. rest — a break
  10. scale — size or range
  11. press — to push
  12. press — newspapers
  13. court — for sport
  14. press — a publisher
  15. court — of law
  16. ball — a great time
  17. court — of a king
  18. degree — temperature
  19. degree — an amount
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. bound — certain
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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