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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
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: bat · rock · press · rest · rash · cap · scale · fine

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bat — the animal
  6. press — newspapers
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. press — to push
  9. rest — what's left
  10. fine — all right
  11. rock — a stone
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. fine — high quality
  15. rash — a series
  16. rest — a break
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cap — a hat
  20. press — a publisher
  21. cap — a lid
  22. rock — music
  23. scale — in music
  24. bat — for baseball

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