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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.

Make a worksheet

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: object · press · scale · row · mug · capital

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. row — to paddle
  3. press — a publisher
  4. press — newspapers
  5. row — a line
  6. object — to protest
  7. capital — money
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. object — a thing
  10. mug — a face
  11. mug — a cup
  12. scale — size or range
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. capital — a city
  15. mug — to rob
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. scale — in music
  18. object — an aim

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