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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: roll · firm · bore · scale · squash · deal · press · bear

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  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. roll — a list
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. scale — size or range
  5. firm — a company
  6. press — newspapers
  7. bore — to tire
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. squash — the sport
  10. squash — to crush
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. roll — a cake
  14. press — to push
  15. press — a publisher
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. firm — decided
  18. bore — to drill
  19. deal — to handle
  20. bear — the animal
  21. firm — steady
  22. scale — in music
  23. deal — an agreement
  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