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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: club · pitch · rock · trunk · mine · current · press · scale

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  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. press — to push
  2. press — newspapers
  3. current — of water
  4. club — for golf
  5. rock — a stone
  6. current — happening now
  7. scale — size or range
  8. current — electric
  9. mine — for digging
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. club — a group
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. club — for dancing
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. rock — music
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. press — a publisher
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. pitch — completely
  24. scale — in music

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