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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: press · bark · scale · mine · kick · drill · fine · can

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. fine — high quality
  3. can — to be able to
  4. scale — in music
  5. press — to push
  6. scale — size or range
  7. can — a tin
  8. bark — to shout
  9. can — a tin
  10. press — newspapers
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. drill — a practice
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. drill — the tool
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. kick — in football
  19. mine — for digging
  20. press — a publisher
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. fine — all right
  23. drill — army training
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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