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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 · dip · date · bass · ruler · land · court · press

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. press — a publisher
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. dip — to sink
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — the fish
  11. scale — size or range
  12. date — the fruit
  13. court — for sport
  14. land — a country
  15. scale — in music
  16. land — ground
  17. press — to push
  18. court — of a king
  19. court — of law
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. land — to come down
  23. bass — low music
  24. ruler — for measuring

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