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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: ball · content · saw · face · pop · press · rash · scale

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — size or range
  4. pop — music
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. saw — the tool
  7. face — to confront
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. press — a publisher
  11. face — to point toward
  12. press — newspapers
  13. rash — a series
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. face — part of the head
  16. pop — to visit
  17. ball — a dance
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. saw — the tool
  20. press — to push
  21. content — happy
  22. content — the amount
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rash — hasty

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