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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: arm · tear · firm · coach · ball · chip · kick · press

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. chip — for betting
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. firm — decided
  6. firm — steady
  7. ball — a great time
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. firm — a company
  12. press — newspapers
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. tear — from crying
  15. press — a publisher
  16. ball — a dance
  17. press — to push
  18. tear — to rip
  19. kick — in football
  20. tear — from crying
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. chip — to eat

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