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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: sharp · bear · pitch · scale · shower · drill · lie · press

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. shower — rain
  3. press — newspapers
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. drill — the tool
  6. bear — the animal
  7. drill — army training
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. shower — to wash
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. drill — a practice
  13. lie — to recline
  14. scale — in music
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. press — to push
  17. bear — the animal
  18. sharp — clever
  19. press — a publisher
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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