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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 116 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 · game · degree · scale · branch · charge · bear · plane

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. degree — temperature
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. press — a publisher
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. charge — a price
  9. scale — size or range
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. press — newspapers
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. degree — from a university
  14. game — a match
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. scale — in music
  19. charge — in control
  20. press — to push
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. game — wild animals
  23. degree — an amount
  24. branch — a division

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