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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: fine · bound · scale · press · chest · present · object · date

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. object — a thing
  3. chest — of your body
  4. object — an aim
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. press — a publisher
  7. bound — tied together
  8. fine — all right
  9. press — to push
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. chest — of your body
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. press — newspapers
  14. bound — obliged
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. date — the fruit
  17. chest — a box
  18. fine — high quality
  19. present — a gift
  20. present — there
  21. bound — certain
  22. present — the time now
  23. scale — in music
  24. object — to protest

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