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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: clip · scale · rush · press · mouse · jam · toast · ground

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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. mouse — the animal
  4. ground — a position
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. clip — for paper
  7. ground — crushed
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. scale — size or range
  11. toast — bread
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. ground — the earth
  14. clip — a video
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. scale — in music
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. rush — hurry
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. clip — to cut
  21. press — a publisher
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. toast — the most admired

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