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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 120 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: land · pound · scale · content · row · fan · cap · press

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. cap — a hat
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. press — to push
  6. press — a publisher
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cap — of ice
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. land — a country
  12. land — to come down
  13. row — to paddle
  14. scale — size or range
  15. press — newspapers
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. row — a line
  20. cap — a lid
  21. land — ground
  22. content — the amount
  23. scale — in music
  24. content — happy

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