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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.

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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: jam · trunk · scale · bay · rock · stand · press · hand

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. rock — music
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. scale — in music
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. press — to push
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. scale — size or range
  12. hand — help
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. press — a publisher
  20. stand — to bear
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. rock — a stone
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. press — newspapers

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