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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 · sharp · press · trunk · shower · content · present · deal

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. press — a publisher
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. press — to push
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. present — there
  10. shower — to wash
  11. present — the time now
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. press — newspapers
  14. shower — rain
  15. content — the amount
  16. scale — size or range
  17. sharp — clever
  18. present — a gift
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. deal — to handle
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. content — happy
  24. trunk — of a tree

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