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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: drill · bear · firm · swing · scale · press · ground · current

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  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. firm — decided
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — army training
  4. swing — music
  5. current — electric
  6. scale — size or range
  7. press — a publisher
  8. firm — a company
  9. drill — the tool
  10. bear — the animal
  11. ground — a position
  12. firm — steady
  13. scale — in music
  14. swing — in golf
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — to push
  18. current — happening now
  19. current — of water
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — crushed
  22. swing — to play on
  23. bear — the animal
  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