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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 · arm · content · cabinet · vault · scale · roll · pound

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. scale — size or range
  3. roll — a cake
  4. press — newspapers
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. vault — a safe
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. pound — a weight
  13. roll — a list
  14. press — to push
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. press — a publisher
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. scale — in music
  20. content — happy
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. scale — for weighing

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