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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: ball · pitcher · present · press · lie · drill · fine · scale

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. drill — the tool
  3. present — there
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. press — newspapers
  6. fine — high quality
  7. press — to push
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. present — the time now
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. lie — to recline
  13. scale — in music
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. scale — size or range
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. drill — army training
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. drill — a practice
  21. ball — a dance
  22. present — a gift
  23. ball — a great time
  24. press — a publisher

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