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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 · cell · clip · board · coach · press

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. board — a committee
  3. cell — a phone
  4. chip — for betting
  5. clip — to cut
  6. clip — a video
  7. press — to push
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. clip — for paper
  12. press — a publisher
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. chip — to eat
  16. press — newspapers
  17. board — to get on
  18. coach — a trainer

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