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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: ruler · patient · branch · swing · cap · chip · file · press

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. cap — a lid
  3. press — a publisher
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. chip — for betting
  6. cap — of ice
  7. swing — to play on
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. swing — music
  11. press — newspapers
  12. file — a tool
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. branch — a division
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. press — to push
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. chip — to eat
  21. file — a line of people
  22. swing — in golf
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. cap — a hat

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