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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: chip · race · court · press · object · coach

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. court — of law
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. object — a thing
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — to push
  8. court — for sport
  9. race — humankind
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. object — an aim
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. court — of a king
  16. race — the arms race
  17. object — to protest
  18. press — newspapers

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