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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: fall · pitch · scale · press · chest · chair

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. chest — of your body
  3. fall — to drop
  4. chest — a box
  5. press — newspapers
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. chest — of your body
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. fall — to drop
  11. press — a publisher
  12. pitch — completely
  13. scale — size or range
  14. press — to push
  15. chair — a leader
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. fall — the season

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