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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 120 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: chip · stock · cabinet · press · mark · hand · foot · tube

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. foot — a measure
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. press — newspapers
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — goods
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. mark — a trace
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chip — to eat
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. hand — help
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. press — a publisher
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. hand — in cards
  20. tube — the underground
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. mark — a grade
  23. tube — a container
  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