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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 116 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: hand · snap · scale · spring · object · stock · press · game

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. object — an aim
  3. scale — size or range
  4. press — newspapers
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. press — a publisher
  7. snap — to click
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — the season
  10. spring — of water
  11. stock — shares
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. object — to protest
  14. game — a match
  15. hand — in cards
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. game — wild animals
  19. stock — goods
  20. hand — help
  21. press — to push
  22. scale — in music
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. game — a kind of play

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