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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: degree · scale · key · mouse · press · mate · temple · charge

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. press — to push
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. degree — temperature
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. press — a publisher
  7. key — in music
  8. mate — a friend
  9. press — newspapers
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. key — the most important part
  12. mate — a partner
  13. degree — an amount
  14. charge — a price
  15. key — for a lock
  16. mate — to breed
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. charge — electricity
  19. scale — in music
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. charge — in control
  23. scale — size or range
  24. mouse — the animal

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