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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: scale · fine · sharp · press · chest · game · pit · bank

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. scale — size or range
  3. sharp — clever
  4. game — wild animals
  5. fine — all right
  6. scale — in music
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bank — for money
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. chest — of your body
  13. press — a publisher
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. bank — for money
  16. fine — high quality
  17. bank — of a river
  18. pit — a hole
  19. chest — a box
  20. game — a match
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. press — newspapers
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. press — to push

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