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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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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: rule · press · bank · chip · degree · safe

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. bank — for money
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. degree — temperature
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. degree — an amount
  10. rule — government
  11. degree — from a university
  12. rule — a law
  13. chip — for betting
  14. press — newspapers
  15. chip — to eat
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bank — for money
  18. press — a publisher

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