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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: drill · press · chair · cap · race · chip

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. press — newspapers
  3. chip — to eat
  4. drill — army training
  5. press — a publisher
  6. race — a contest
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — a hat
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. chip — for betting
  11. drill — the tool
  12. race — humankind
  13. race — the arms race
  14. drill — a practice
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. press — to push
  18. chair — to sit on

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