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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: land · press · deal · wake · can · scale · swing · mark

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. land — to come down
  4. can — a tin
  5. scale — size or range
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. deal — to handle
  10. wake — a trail
  11. press — a publisher
  12. scale — in music
  13. land — ground
  14. mark — a trace
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. press — newspapers
  17. swing — music
  18. press — to push
  19. swing — in golf
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. swing — to play on
  22. can — a tin
  23. mark — a grade
  24. can — to be able to

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