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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. fall — the season
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. squash — the sport
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. fall — to drop
  9. press — newspapers
  10. press — to push
  11. scale — size or range
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. season — in sport
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. fall — to drop
  20. season — of the year
  21. bark — to shout
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. press — a publisher
  24. squash — to crush

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