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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: scale · pop · press · land · firm · chip · bear · patient

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. pop — music
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. press — a publisher
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. land — ground
  8. chip — to eat
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. press — newspapers
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pop — soda
  14. scale — in music
  15. firm — decided
  16. land — to come down
  17. firm — steady
  18. land — a country
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. chip — for betting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. press — to push
  23. scale — size or range
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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