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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: file · object · chip · press · drill · toast · pitcher · pass

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. file — a line of people
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. object — a thing
  7. file — a document
  8. pass — a permit
  9. object — an aim
  10. toast — bread
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. press — to push
  14. drill — a practice
  15. object — to protest
  16. press — a publisher
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. drill — army training
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. chip — for betting
  21. press — newspapers
  22. file — a tool
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. chip — to eat

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