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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: wax · staff · press · nail · chip · bass · scale · stock

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. press — newspapers
  5. chip — for betting
  6. staff — employees
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. scale — size or range
  9. press — a publisher
  10. bass — the fish
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. staff — a stick
  15. stock — shares
  16. bass — low music
  17. press — to push
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. stock — goods
  21. scale — in music
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. staff — employees
  24. bass — the instrument

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