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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: saw · pop · toast · scale · press · stick · bat · roll

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. roll — a cake
  3. press — a publisher
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pop — soda
  6. press — newspapers
  7. pop — music
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. scale — in music
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. bat — the animal
  17. scale — size or range
  18. press — to push
  19. pop — to visit
  20. toast — bread
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. roll — a list
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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