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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · band · drill · scale · cabinet · land · chip · rule

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — to eat
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. band — a music group
  7. drill — army training
  8. press — newspapers
  9. rule — government
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. scale — in music
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. press — a publisher
  15. land — ground
  16. drill — a practice
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. land — to come down
  20. rule — a law
  21. press — to push
  22. scale — size or range
  23. band — a ring
  24. land — a country

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