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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: game · roll · sharp · press · cabinet · kid · scale · rock

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. roll — a list
  3. game — wild animals
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. kid — to tease
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. press — newspapers
  11. scale — size or range
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. press — to push
  14. roll — a cake
  15. rock — music
  16. sharp — clever
  17. press — a publisher
  18. game — a match
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — a stone
  23. kid — child
  24. cabinet — ministers

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