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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: press · chip · degree · file · saw · vault

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. chip — to eat
  4. file — a line of people
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. degree — temperature
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. vault — a safe
  9. degree — an amount
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. chip — for betting
  12. press — a publisher
  13. degree — from a university
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — to push
  17. file — a document
  18. saw — 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