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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: stem · straw · saw · press · jam · object · scale · pitcher

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. stem — to come from
  5. press — to push
  6. scale — in music
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. press — newspapers
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. press — a publisher
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. object — an aim
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. saw — the tool
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. scale — size or range
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. object — to protest

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