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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: kid · mate · press · chip · staff · object

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. mate — a partner
  3. kid — child
  4. mate — to breed
  5. kid — to tease
  6. object — a thing
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. staff — a stick
  10. mate — a friend
  11. object — an aim
  12. object — to protest
  13. press — newspapers
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — employees
  16. chip — to eat
  17. press — a publisher
  18. chip — for betting

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