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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · scale · cap · game · firm · press · current · dip

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. press — to push
  4. firm — decided
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. press — newspapers
  8. cap — a hat
  9. game — a match
  10. dip — to sink
  11. current — electric
  12. cap — a lid
  13. firm — a company
  14. current — happening now
  15. firm — steady
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. scale — size or range
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. cap — of ice
  20. current — of water
  21. press — a publisher
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. game — wild animals
  24. game — a kind of play

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