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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: ground · scale · roll · vault · press · present · pass · spell

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. present — a gift
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — letters
  6. vault — a safe
  7. press — a publisher
  8. roll — a cake
  9. scale — in music
  10. present — the time now
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. ground — a position
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. ground — the earth
  16. press — newspapers
  17. roll — a list
  18. press — to push
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. scale — size or range
  21. ground — crushed
  22. spell — magic
  23. pass — a permit
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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