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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 120 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: chair · bank · chip · root · press · dip

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. bank — for money
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. bank — of a river
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chip — for betting
  8. press — newspapers
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. press — a publisher
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bank — for money
  14. root — of a word
  15. root — the cause
  16. dip — to sink
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. root — of a plant

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