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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: stock · swing · sharp · present · wound · key · scale · press

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. present — the time now
  4. swing — in golf
  5. present — there
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. swing — to play on
  8. scale — in music
  9. swing — music
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. press — to push
  13. sharp — clever
  14. wound — an injury
  15. key — the most important part
  16. press — newspapers
  17. present — a gift
  18. key — in music
  19. stock — shares
  20. stock — goods
  21. key — for a lock
  22. scale — size or range
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wound — an injury

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