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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: bay · squash · toast · shower · pitcher · sharp · scale · press

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. toast — bread
  5. press — to push
  6. sharp — clever
  7. press — newspapers
  8. scale — size or range
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. squash — to crush
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. press — a publisher
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. shower — rain
  18. shower — to wash
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. squash — the sport
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. pitcher — a jug

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