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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: game · stand · press · scale · dip · chest · swing · net

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. press — newspapers
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. chest — of your body
  7. swing — to play on
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. stand — to bear
  10. press — to push
  11. press — a publisher
  12. net — after costs
  13. chest — of your body
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. game — a match
  16. swing — music
  17. net — in sport
  18. swing — in golf
  19. game — wild animals
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. scale — size or range
  23. chest — a box
  24. net — for catching

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