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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 116 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 · row · press · bank · rock · spell · field · mouse

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. spell — letters
  3. bank — of a river
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. press — a publisher
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bank — for money
  8. row — to paddle
  9. scale — size or range
  10. scale — in music
  11. field — a subject
  12. bank — for money
  13. press — newspapers
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. spell — magic
  18. press — to push
  19. field — for sport
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. row — a line
  22. field — farmland
  23. rock — music
  24. mouse — the animal

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