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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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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 · mark · nail · cap · suit · row · chip · stick

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. cap — a hat
  4. suit — to fit
  5. chip — for betting
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. cap — a lid
  8. press — a publisher
  9. row — a line
  10. row — to paddle
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cap — of ice
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. mark — a trace
  17. suit — in cards
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. suit — clothes
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. chip — to eat
  23. press — to push
  24. mark — a grade

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