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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 120 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: deal · press · scale · capital · pit · racket

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. press — newspapers
  4. press — to push
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. capital — a city
  8. pit — in a race
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. deal — to handle
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. pit — a hole
  15. press — a publisher
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. scale — size or range
  18. capital — money

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