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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: press · bowl · straw · scale · pitch · rock · wax · sharp

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. scale — size or range
  4. rock — a stone
  5. sharp — clever
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. press — to push
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. wax — to grow
  20. press — a publisher
  21. scale — in music
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. pitch — completely
  24. scale — for weighing

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