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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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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: bay · chip · press · arm · band · racket · key · kick

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. kick — in football
  6. chip — to eat
  7. key — the most important part
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. band — a music group
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. key — in music
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. key — for a lock
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — to push
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. band — a ring
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. chip — for betting
  24. arm — a part of something

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