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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.

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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: present · press · chip · firm · bowl · capital · stem · race

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. race — the arms race
  3. capital — money
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. capital — a city
  8. chip — to eat
  9. press — to push
  10. press — a publisher
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. present — there
  13. chip — for betting
  14. race — humankind
  15. press — newspapers
  16. present — a gift
  17. firm — decided
  18. stem — to come from
  19. firm — a company
  20. race — a contest
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. firm — steady
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. present — the time now

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