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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.

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 · fork · cabinet · fan · race · hand · chest · press

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. scale — size or range
  3. race — the arms race
  4. chest — of your body
  5. fork — in a road
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — help
  8. chest — of your body
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. press — to push
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. press — a publisher
  13. press — newspapers
  14. race — humankind
  15. chest — a box
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. hand — in cards
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. race — a contest

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