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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: pop · chip · season · stick · cell · press · club · suit

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. press — a publisher
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. pop — music
  5. season — of the year
  6. chip — to eat
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. club — a group
  10. chip — for betting
  11. club — for golf
  12. suit — in cards
  13. suit — clothes
  14. press — newspapers
  15. press — to push
  16. season — in sport
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. pop — soda
  19. club — for dancing
  20. cell — in biology
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. suit — to fit
  23. pop — to visit
  24. cell — a phone

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