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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: fall · press · bear · ball · rest · pop · scale · club

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. fall — to drop
  3. scale — in music
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. pop — to visit
  6. bear — the animal
  7. ball — a great time
  8. pop — soda
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bear — the animal
  11. rest — what's left
  12. press — to push
  13. club — for golf
  14. rest — what's left
  15. fall — the season
  16. pop — music
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — a group
  19. press — a publisher
  20. scale — size or range
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. rest — a break
  23. fall — to drop
  24. ball — a dance

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