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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.

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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: scale · cap · deal · press · band · fork · bear · spell

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. scale — in music
  3. press — a publisher
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. band — a ring
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. scale — size or range
  11. cap — of ice
  12. spell — magic
  13. spell — a short time
  14. fork — in a road
  15. band — a music group
  16. spell — letters
  17. cap — a lid
  18. bear — the animal
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. deal — to handle
  23. cap — a hat
  24. press — newspapers

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