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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 116 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: press · saw · cap · hand · rule · firm · game · chip

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. chip — for betting
  4. game — a match
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. cap — a lid
  7. game — wild animals
  8. press — to push
  9. firm — decided
  10. firm — steady
  11. saw — the tool
  12. press — a publisher
  13. cap — of ice
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — help
  16. press — newspapers
  17. firm — a company
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. chip — to eat
  20. rule — a law
  21. cap — a hat
  22. saw — the tool
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. hand — in cards

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