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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
468
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 · press · scale · pop · clip · swing · arm · bank

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. scale — size or range
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — to eat
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. clip — a video
  8. chip — for betting
  9. pop — to visit
  10. bank — for money
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. clip — to cut
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — in golf
  15. bank — for money
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. press — to push
  19. swing — to play on
  20. press — a publisher
  21. pop — music
  22. press — newspapers
  23. bank — of a river
  24. clip — for paper

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