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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 · chip · rule · chair · saw · stock · rock · swing

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. rock — a stone
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. press — to push
  5. chair — a leader
  6. swing — to play on
  7. press — newspapers
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. rule — a law
  11. rock — music
  12. rule — government
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. press — a publisher
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. swing — music
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. swing — in golf
  23. stock — goods
  24. stock — shares

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