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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: file · drill · scale · mouse · mark · pound · stick · press

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. drill — a practice
  4. press — a publisher
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. scale — size or range
  9. file — a document
  10. file — a line of people
  11. pound — a weight
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. drill — the tool
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. press — to push
  17. file — a tool
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. mark — a grade
  20. scale — in music
  21. drill — army training
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. scale — for weighing

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