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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: press · scale · lean · ball · rush · bat · bore · chip

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bore — to tire
  5. ball — a great time
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. scale — size or range
  8. press — to push
  9. chip — to eat
  10. lean — to bend
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. press — a publisher
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. chip — for betting
  19. scale — in music
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bore — to drill
  23. lean — thin
  24. scale — for weighing

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