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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: press · pound · pitcher · root · arm · coach · chip · content

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. root — the cause
  4. root — of a word
  5. pound — a weight
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. root — of a plant
  13. chip — to eat
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. content — happy
  16. press — a publisher
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. press — newspapers
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. content — the amount
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. 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