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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 120 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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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: scale · stick · rule · press · pitch · wake · pound · race

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. scale — in music
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. press — a publisher
  5. rule — a law
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. race — humankind
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pound — a weight
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wake — a trail
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. rule — government
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. press — to push
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. race — a contest
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. pitch — completely
  22. race — the arms race
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. scale — size or range

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