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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: craft · press · chip · pitcher · drill · jam · plane · game

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. game — wild animals
  3. press — a publisher
  4. craft — a skill
  5. drill — a practice
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. game — a match
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. chip — to eat
  13. press — newspapers
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. craft — boats
  17. press — to push
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. drill — the tool
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. drill — army training
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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