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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: tube · mouse · stem · roll · ball · scale · cabinet · press

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — in music
  5. press — to push
  6. roll — a cake
  7. press — a publisher
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. stem — to come from
  11. roll — a list
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. press — newspapers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. ball — a great time
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. tube — a container
  21. ball — a dance
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. tube — the underground

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