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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: press · chip · hand · firm · mug · capital · net · plane

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. capital — a city
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. hand — in cards
  6. plane — a tool
  7. firm — decided
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — for catching
  11. press — newspapers
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. capital — money
  15. press — a publisher
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — to eat
  19. mug — a face
  20. mug — a cup
  21. firm — a company
  22. net — in sport
  23. mug — to rob
  24. press — to push

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