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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: coach · cabinet · game · press · cap · pass · rash · chip

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. chip — for betting
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. press — a publisher
  9. cap — a hat
  10. press — newspapers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. rash — a series
  14. pass — a permit
  15. press — to push
  16. game — a match
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. cap — a lid
  19. game — wild animals
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. rash — hasty
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. coach — a trainer

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