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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 120 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: press · field · wax · chip · rest · current · scale · pit

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — a break
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. current — of water
  5. field — a subject
  6. field — for sport
  7. press — newspapers
  8. field — farmland
  9. scale — size or range
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. current — electric
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. press — to push
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chip — for betting
  20. current — happening now
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. scale — in music
  23. press — a publisher
  24. wax — in the ear

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