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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.

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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: saw · press · pit · stand · scale · season · degree · pitcher

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pit — a hole
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. press — to push
  5. degree — temperature
  6. press — newspapers
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. season — of the year
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. degree — an amount
  11. scale — in music
  12. season — in sport
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. saw — the tool
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. press — a publisher
  20. scale — size or range
  21. degree — from a university
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — to bear
  24. saw — the tool

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