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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 120 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: fork · pop · scale · stand · ground · net · press · saw

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. stand — to bear
  3. press — newspapers
  4. net — after costs
  5. scale — size or range
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. ground — the earth
  9. pop — soda
  10. pop — to visit
  11. saw — the tool
  12. press — to push
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. scale — in music
  15. ground — a position
  16. pop — music
  17. net — in sport
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. ground — crushed
  21. net — for catching
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. press — a publisher

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