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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: chip · fork · press · content · hand · mark · sharp · mine

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — for betting
  4. mark — a grade
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. content — happy
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. content — the amount
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. mark — a trace
  13. hand — help
  14. fork — in a road
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. press — a publisher
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. press — to push
  21. mine — for digging
  22. sharp — clever
  23. hand — in cards
  24. mine — an explosive

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