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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: bowl · press · bat · track · bore · fall · scale · toast

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — to drop
  4. toast — bread
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to drill
  9. scale — size or range
  10. fall — the season
  11. press — to push
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. bore — to tire
  14. track — a song
  15. press — a publisher
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. track — a path
  19. press — newspapers
  20. scale — in music
  21. track — to keep track
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — to roll

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