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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: cold · scale · cabinet · toast · rule · ground · mark · press

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  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. toast — a drink to someone
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. cold — not warm
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. scale — size or range
  8. press — newspapers
  9. rule — government
  10. ground — the earth
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. ground — crushed
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. cold — an illness
  16. rule — a law
  17. press — to push
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. mark — a trace
  20. ground — a position
  21. press — a publisher
  22. mark — a grade
  23. toast — bread
  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