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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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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 · bank · plane · cap · degree · date · chip · firm

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. cap — a hat
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. degree — temperature
  6. degree — an amount
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — for money
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. firm — steady
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bank — of a river
  13. degree — from a university
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. chip — for betting
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — to push
  19. date — the fruit
  20. cap — of ice
  21. plane — a tool
  22. firm — decided
  23. chip — to eat
  24. cap — a lid

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