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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 · firm · scale · ball · bat · fine · bulb · press

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. game — wild animals
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. ball — a great time
  5. bat — the animal
  6. press — newspapers
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. fine — high quality
  10. press — to push
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. fine — all right
  13. scale — size or range
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. bulb — for light
  17. firm — decided
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bulb — for light
  20. scale — in music
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. press — a publisher
  23. game — a match
  24. firm — a company

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