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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: club · scale · season · hide · press · snap · stock · toast

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. toast — bread
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. press — to push
  5. club — for golf
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. stock — shares
  8. press — newspapers
  9. snap — to click
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — in sport
  12. scale — size or range
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. stock — goods
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. scale — in music
  18. season — of the year
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. club — for dancing
  23. club — a group
  24. toast — the most admired

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