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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: drill · press · chair · mine · chip · toast

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. mine — for digging
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. drill — a practice
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chair — a leader
  9. chip — to eat
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. drill — the tool
  12. press — newspapers
  13. toast — bread
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. press — a publisher
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. press — to push

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