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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: nail · mouse · roll · scale · foot · chip · press · stick

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. scale — size or range
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. press — a publisher
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. chip — to eat
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. foot — a measure
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. press — newspapers
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. chip — for betting
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. roll — a cake
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. press — to push
  21. roll — a list
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. scale — in music

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