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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: jam · mark · firm · rock · ground · scale · file · press

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. firm — decided
  4. press — to push
  5. rock — a stone
  6. firm — steady
  7. file — a line of people
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. press — a publisher
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. scale — size or range
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. scale — in music
  16. firm — a company
  17. file — a document
  18. ground — a position
  19. file — a tool
  20. mark — a trace
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ground — crushed
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. press — newspapers

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