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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: degree · present · nail · scale · saw · rock · press · bulb

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. degree — temperature
  4. present — there
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. degree — from a university
  8. degree — an amount
  9. press — to push
  10. scale — in music
  11. press — newspapers
  12. present — the time now
  13. scale — size or range
  14. bulb — for light
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. press — a publisher
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. rock — music
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. rock — a stone
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. nail — on a finger

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