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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: patient · scale · bat · press · pop · trunk · dip · mark

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. scale — in music
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. pop — soda
  5. mark — a grade
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. mark — a trace
  9. press — a publisher
  10. dip — to sink
  11. scale — size or range
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. press — to push
  14. press — newspapers
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. pop — to visit
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. bat — the animal
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. pop — 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