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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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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: scale · stem · press · safe · pitch · pass · kid · nail

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. pitch — completely
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pass — a permit
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. kid — child
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. kid — to tease
  15. press — to push
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. press — newspapers
  18. scale — in music
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. scale — size or range
  24. pitch — a sports field

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