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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: roll · present · track · band · chip · press · hide · trunk

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. band — a music group
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — there
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. roll — a list
  9. press — newspapers
  10. band — a ring
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. chip — to eat
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. track — a song
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a path
  18. chip — for betting
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. press — to push
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. roll — a cake
  24. press — a publisher

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