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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 120 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: chip · bass · bore · mug · file · club · press · hand

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. club — for golf
  3. hand — help
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. press — to push
  6. chip — for betting
  7. bass — the fish
  8. file — a document
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. club — for dancing
  11. mug — a cup
  12. press — a publisher
  13. club — a group
  14. hand — in cards
  15. bore — to drill
  16. chip — to eat
  17. bass — low music
  18. file — a tool
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. press — newspapers
  21. mug — a face
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. bore — to tire
  24. file — a line of people

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