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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
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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: pitcher · tube · scale · toast · pop · bound · press · spell

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. press — to push
  3. spell — a short time
  4. press — a publisher
  5. spell — magic
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bound — obliged
  8. toast — bread
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — the underground
  11. pop — soda
  12. bound — tied together
  13. pop — music
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. spell — letters
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. scale — size or range
  18. press — newspapers
  19. tube — a container
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. scale — in music

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