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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: bowl · cap · cabinet · scale · season · bass · ground · press

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — a hat
  4. scale — in music
  5. season — in sport
  6. season — of the year
  7. press — to push
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. press — a publisher
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cap — of ice
  18. ground — a position
  19. ground — the earth
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. press — newspapers
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — low music
  24. scale — size or range

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