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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pop · press · chip · stand · spell · chair · kid · saw

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. press — a publisher
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. stand — to bear
  5. chip — to eat
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. pop — music
  9. kid — child
  10. press — newspapers
  11. chair — a leader
  12. spell — a short time
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. spell — magic
  17. saw — the tool
  18. kid — to tease
  19. saw — the tool
  20. press — to push
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. spell — letters
  23. pop — to visit
  24. chip — for betting

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