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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 116 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: scale · row · press · pit · pass · sharp · cabinet · pop

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — in a race
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. scale — size or range
  5. pass — a permit
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. row — to paddle
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. press — a publisher
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. press — newspapers
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pop — soda
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. sharp — clever
  18. row — a line
  19. press — to push
  20. scale — in music
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. pop — music
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. cabinet — ministers

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