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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: scale · press · club · tube · jam · game · lie · hide

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. press — a publisher
  3. scale — size or range
  4. game — wild animals
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. game — a match
  7. press — newspapers
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. club — a group
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. tube — a container
  15. club — for dancing
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. press — to push
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. club — for golf
  23. tube — the underground
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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