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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: pop · chip · season · stick · cell · press

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. cell — a phone
  3. pop — to visit
  4. chip — to eat
  5. press — a publisher
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. chip — for betting
  8. season — in sport
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. press — newspapers
  13. cell — in biology
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. season — of the year
  16. press — to push
  17. pop — soda
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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