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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
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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: content · press · scale · toast · can · pound · cold · band

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. press — to push
  5. content — happy
  6. can — to be able to
  7. band — a music group
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. can — a tin
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. content — the amount
  14. band — a ring
  15. press — newspapers
  16. can — a tin
  17. toast — bread
  18. press — a publisher
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. cold — an illness
  21. scale — size or range
  22. pound — a weight
  23. cold — not warm
  24. toast — the most admired

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