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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.

Make a worksheet

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: pit · leaves · cold · scale · court · press · staff · rock

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pit — in a race
  5. staff — employees
  6. rock — music
  7. cold — an illness
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. court — of a king
  10. court — for sport
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. staff — a stick
  13. scale — in music
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. cold — not warm
  16. rock — a stone
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — to push
  19. staff — employees
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. press — a publisher
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. court — of law

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