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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.

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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: charge · scale · shower · pit · press · cell

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. pit — in a race
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. charge — in control
  6. press — to push
  7. shower — to wash
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. pit — a hole
  10. charge — a price
  11. shower — rain
  12. scale — size or range
  13. cell — in biology
  14. press — newspapers
  15. charge — electricity
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. scale — in music
  18. press — a publisher

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