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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: bulb · deal · field · rock · saw · shower · scale · press

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. field — for sport
  3. field — a subject
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. shower — rain
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bulb — for light
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. press — to push
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. deal — to handle
  12. scale — in music
  13. field — farmland
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. rock — music
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. press — a publisher
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. shower — to wash
  23. scale — size or range
  24. press — newspapers

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