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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: pound · jam · scale · bat · cabinet · cap · press · mug

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. mug — to rob
  5. scale — in music
  6. pound — a weight
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. cap — of ice
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cap — a hat
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. press — newspapers
  15. press — a publisher
  16. mug — a face
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. scale — size or range
  23. press — to push
  24. bat — the animal

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