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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: kid · toast · press · scale · foot · roll · plane · present

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. foot — a measure
  5. kid — to tease
  6. present — a gift
  7. roll — a list
  8. press — newspapers
  9. press — to push
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. toast — bread
  13. plane — a tool
  14. roll — a cake
  15. scale — size or range
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. present — the time now
  18. present — there
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. press — a publisher
  23. scale — in music
  24. kid — child

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