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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.

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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: fall · deal · press · stem · pop · scale

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. press — a publisher
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. fall — to drop
  6. press — to push
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stem — to come from
  10. fall — to drop
  11. pop — to visit
  12. scale — size or range
  13. pop — music
  14. fall — the season
  15. pop — soda
  16. press — newspapers
  17. scale — in music
  18. deal — an agreement

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