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

Word bank: fall · stick · press · drill · chip · pit

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. pit — in a race
  3. press — to push
  4. pit — a hole
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — to drop
  9. chip — for betting
  10. fall — the season
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. press — newspapers
  13. chip — to eat
  14. drill — army training
  15. drill — a practice
  16. press — a publisher
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. drill — the tool

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