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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: press · firm · hide · scale · stick · present · foot · ground

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. scale — size or range
  3. ground — a position
  4. firm — steady
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. foot — a measure
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. present — there
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. press — newspapers
  15. press — a publisher
  16. ground — crushed
  17. ground — the earth
  18. firm — decided
  19. firm — a company
  20. present — the time now
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. present — a gift
  23. scale — in music
  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