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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: band · lean · chip · stick · cap · deal · coach · press

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. band — a music group
  3. cap — of ice
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. lean — to bend
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. press — to push
  10. chip — to eat
  11. cap — a lid
  12. deal — to handle
  13. chip — for betting
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. cap — a hat
  18. band — a ring
  19. press — a publisher
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. lean — thin

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