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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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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: fan · spring · chip · object · rule · squash · track · press

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. squash — to crush
  3. spring — a coil
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. press — newspapers
  6. object — a thing
  7. rule — a law
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. object — an aim
  10. press — to push
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. chip — to eat
  13. press — a publisher
  14. chip — for betting
  15. track — to keep track
  16. object — to protest
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. spring — the season
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. track — a path
  21. spring — of water
  22. squash — the sport
  23. rule — government
  24. track — a song

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