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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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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 · wind · bank · press · cell · prune · scale · fork

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. bank — for money
  5. press — newspapers
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. press — to push
  8. prune — to trim
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. scale — in music
  11. chip — for betting
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. chip — to eat
  14. prune — to trim
  15. wind — moving air
  16. cell — a phone
  17. press — a publisher
  18. wind — moving air
  19. scale — size or range
  20. fork — in a road
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  24. cell — in biology

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