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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: mug · scale · date · jam · nail · press · pop · saw

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. mug — a cup
  3. pop — to visit
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. mug — to rob
  6. press — a publisher
  7. scale — in music
  8. date — the fruit
  9. pop — music
  10. pop — soda
  11. mug — a face
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. saw — the tool
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. press — to push
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. scale — size or range
  22. press — newspapers
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. nail — for a hammer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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