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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: press · chip · scale · lean · mug · pound · fine · bass

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. bass — the fish
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. lean — thin
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. scale — in music
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. mug — a face
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. pound — a weight
  12. press — to push
  13. press — newspapers
  14. chip — for betting
  15. press — a publisher
  16. mug — to rob
  17. fine — all right
  18. bass — low music
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. fine — high quality
  21. scale — size or range
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. chip — to eat
  24. lean — to bend

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