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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. file — a document
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bank — for money
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — of a river
  10. prune — to trim
  11. mine — for digging
  12. file — a line of people
  13. prune — to trim
  14. press — newspapers
  15. stand — to bear
  16. band — a ring
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. press — a publisher
  19. chip — to eat
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. press — to push
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. file — a tool
  24. band — a music group

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