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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: press · ball · pit · capital · scale · swing · firm · bay

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. press — newspapers
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. capital — money
  6. swing — music
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. firm — a company
  10. swing — in golf
  11. firm — steady
  12. swing — to play on
  13. firm — decided
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. press — to push
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. scale — in music
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. scale — size or range
  20. capital — a city
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pit — a hole
  23. press — a publisher
  24. ball — a great time

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